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
|
June 27, 2011 1:50 AM
|
0 Comments

Trailer Watch: Cronenberg's Official Dangerous Method Trailer

Sony Pictures Classics scooped up U.S. rights to David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method last week and now has released the official trailer, below. Produced by Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor), the film, which is in post-production, stars Viggo Mortenson as Sigmund Freud and Keira Knightley as the unbalanced patient of Freud’s protege, ambitious young psychiatrist Karl Jung (Michael Fassbender). Vincent Cassel co-stars as another patient who pushes the rival shrinks apart. More detail below.

By Anne Thompson
|
June 21, 2011 7:58 AM
|
2 Comments

More:

Sony Pictures Classics Nabs Cronenberg's Dangerous Method

Ahead of an expected fall fest circuit run for David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method, Sony Pictures Classics has acquired US rights from UK foreign sales company Hanway Films. Produced by Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor), the film, which is in post-production, stars Viggo Mortenson as Sigmund Freud and Keira Knightley as the unbalanced patient of Freud's protege, ambitious young psychiatrist Karl Jung (Michael Fassbender). Vincent Cassel co-stars as another patient who pushes the rival shrinks apart.

By Anne Thompson
|
June 16, 2011 7:36 AM
|
1 Comment

More:

68th Venice Film Festival May Feature Polanski, Cronenberg, Solondz, McQueen, Winterbottom, Arnold

Cannes' loss is Venice's gain as departing director Marco Muller heads into either his ultimate year or a contract extension.

By Sophia Savage and Anne Thompson
|
May 18, 2011 8:00 AM
|
0 Comments

More:

Cannes 64 Official Selection: Winds of Change, Rookies, Four Women in Competition (UPDATED)

So we now know who will be walking up the red carpet steps of the Cannes Palais this year, and which world auteurs will be announced as they walk into the Theatre Lumiere. We already knew that Woody Allen is bringing Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams and Michael Sheen with opener Midnight in Paris on May 11, and that Croisette regular Gus Van Sant will open Un Certain Regard on May 12 with Restless, starring Mia Wasikowska.

By Anne Thompson
|
April 14, 2011 7:34 AM
|
3 Comments

More:

Malick's The Tree of Life is Going to Cannes, Duh

Many of us have already reported that Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life is going to Cannes, mainly because the fest had banked on booking it last year and was severely disappointed (and out the cost of a few hotel rooms) when Malick wasn't able to make it. I checked with stateside distributor Searchlight last week and they confirmed that it was going in advance of its May 27 stateside release, but could not say if the film would be in or out of competition. That call is being made by French distributor Europa and Summit International, which handles the film overseas. In any case, this means that Tree of Life Cannes faves Brad Pitt and Sean Penn will likely be walking the red carpet of the Palais.

By Anne Thompson
|
March 23, 2011 10:12 AM
|
0 Comments

More:

Willow Smith & Jay-Z's Annie Remake, Pattinson & Knightley for Cosmopolis, Cusack "Bad-Ass" Poe

- The question is, will Willow Smith in a remake of (Little Orphan) Annie turn out to be a box office hit that plays like an extended music video proving that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith turned out some cute money makers? Or will it be a gritty, creative and inspired re-telling of the outdated musical and 1982 John Huston film? Jay-Z signed Willow Smith (so thank him for "Whip My Hair") and is in talks to do the music on the remake. If Jay-Z's 1998 Annie-theme-song-inspired "It's The Hard Knock Life" is an indication of how the film would feel, we'll support it all the way. If the remake is heading for Whip My Hair Annie we'll pass. Videos of both Jay-Z and Annie's versions of "The Hard Knock Life" are below.

By Sophia Savage
|
January 21, 2011 12:00 AM
|
6 Comments

More:

Four Rising Stars of 2011: Jessica Chastain, Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Hall, Tom Hardy

Jessica Chastain, Tom Hardy, Rebecca Hall and Michael Fassbender are four hot-as-flapjacks actors who have given Hollywood reason to expect great things. They are, so far, actors known better for their roles than their celebrity, and while 2010 was a year packed with noteworthy performances--including theirs-- we expect that their best work is yet to come. Casting directors and filmmakers are throwing parts at these rising stars: here's a preview of their 2011 slates (from flailing indies to franchise prequels, we've got the available stats) and why we care:

By Sophia Savage
|
December 24, 2010 8:15 AM
|
3 Comments

More:

In Development: Knightley and Wright for Anna Karenina, Moses to Rise Again And Again

News to inspire remake support: Keira Knightley could follow in Greta Garbo's footsteps and play the lead in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. The screenwriter is Tom Stoppard and the director is Joe Wright, who arguably gets the best from Knightley (see Pride and Prejudice and Atonement). It's Working Title's project; they expect the script by Christmas. They will then consider, according to London's Daily Mail: "several scripts destined for Wright, including one by Abi Morgan based on The Little Mermaid fairy tale, ‘and we’ll decide what looks like the most sensible thing to do.’" Let's see both!

By Sophia Savage
|
November 19, 2010 5:00 AM
|
1 Comment

More:

Production News: Bourne Without Bourne, Mad Max Stalls, Eastern Promises 2

- Writer-director Tony Gilroy is trying to have it both ways. He confirms that The Bourne Legacy will be made without Matt Damon - but he contradicts himself. "This is not a reboot or a recast or a prequel. No one's replacing Matt Damon," Gilroy says. "There will be a whole new hero, a whole new chapter…this is a stand-alone project" that happens to be using the title of Robert Ludlum's book, "but will not use the story":"The easiest way to think of it is an expansion or a reveal…Jason Bourne will not be in this film, but he's very much alive. What happened in the first three films is the trigger for what happens. I'm building a legend and an environment and a wider conspiracy...the world we're making enhances and advances and invites Jason Bourne's return [down the road]…Everything you saw in the first three films actually happened, and everyone who got into them will be rewarded for paying attention. We're going to show you the bigger picture, the bigger canvas. When you see where we're going and see what we're doing it'll be pretty obvious."