Thompson on Hollywood

Will Roth & Fincher Deliver Jolie's Cleopatra?

Features

Let us count the ways that Sony's "Cleopatra" could go wrong. But hiring Eric Roth to write the script for the Angelina Jolie epic (possibly with David Fincher at the helm) is a good sign. We can thank Roth for "Forrest Gump," "The Insider," "Munich," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and many other fine scripts including the upcoming "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close." Based on Stacy Schiff's sprawling bestseller, this "Cleopatra" is rooted in a complex history and demands a seasoned writer who will not lose sight of the biography's authentic primary sources. Bringing Fincher on board would also set the project on the right course. Exuding the infamous intelligence, charisma and sexuality of Cleopatra will be easy for Jolie, who nonetheless needs a strong director to pull from her a layered and compelling performance. The Egyptian queen--arguably the most powerful woman of all time-- was a master political strategist who deftly manipulated her two life mates, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. (Picking the right two co-stars is also key.) If the movie gods align the elements, this could be Jolie's career-defining role--and her best shot at a Best Actress Oscar.

By Sophia Savage
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November 16, 2011 3:49 PM
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Dragon Tattoo Soundtrack Art, Another Trailer Reworking

News

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" soundtrack boasts its own striking artwork, while the trailer has gotten a one-minute reworking. Both are below (ThePlaylist has more details on the soundtrack and score), where you can also listen to a taste of the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross collaboration. "Dragon Tattoo" lands just in time to tarnish your Christmas cheer, December 21. Don't worry: its dogged marketing team won't forget to remind you.

By Sophia Savage
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November 15, 2011 3:19 PM
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EW Holiday Preview: Why Dragon Tattoo Won't Get Oscar Love, Williams on the Soul of Monroe, Renner's Career Lesson

Blogs

By Sophia Savage
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November 11, 2011 11:36 AM
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New Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Poster Looks Like Martha Marcy May Marlene

David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo gets a new poster, and while impressive, it does look somewhat familiar. Check out the full poster below, along with one from Martha Marcy May Marlene's marketing campaign (MMMM is currently in theaters). We like them both.

By Sophia Savage
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October 25, 2011 5:54 AM
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Alexandre Desplat Scores Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Among Many Other Films

French composer Alexandre Desplat is having a busy 2011. He's racing to finish the score for one of several still-unfinished year-end releases, Stephen Daldry's Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, over the next few weeks. (The composer took over from Nico Muhly, who scored Daldry's The Reader.) Of course, music is always the last contribution to any movie, figuring in the final mix.

By Anne Thompson
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October 23, 2011 4:54 AM
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Dragon Tattoo's Rooney Mara Covers Vogue: Fincher Says She's A Great Weirdo

Rooney Mara, aka Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, covers the latest issue of Vogue. "I have really enjoyed being a boy this last year,” she says of how the character has changed her dressing habits. Fincher tells Vogue she's "a great weirdo."

By Sophia Savage
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October 18, 2011 8:57 AM
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Branch by Branch: Debating Oscars for Moneyball, Girl with Dragon Tattoo, TOH vs. Awards Daily

Every so often New Yorker Thelma Adams (ex-critic of Us Magazine now at AMC's filmcritic.com) invites me to debate various Oscar topics with her and D.C.-based Susan Wloszczyna (USA Today), LA Oscar blogger Sasha Stone (Awards Daily) and Seattle's Kim Voynar (MovieCityNews). We toss things around--our latest debate over best picture yielded this reaction from me: In Hollywood, Moneyball is seen as an art movie that somehow made it through the studio system. The writers will go for Zaillian and Sorkin. The actors will go for Pitt and Hill. The directors will go for Bennett Miller. Wally Pfister–Chris Nolan’s DP–very respected. And so on. Trust me, it’s in the mix. How does a movie get to be a best picture contender? One branch at a time.

By Anne Thompson
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October 14, 2011 7:43 AM
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Oscar Powers Netflix's Top Ten Most-Rented List

Netflix's ten most-rented list of all time (list below) reminds us of the long-tail Power of Oscar. And it should remind Netflix, as it splits its DVD and streaming business and alienates many of its customers who are used to relying on its deep long-tail arcania, that their solid customer base is smart adults, not the great unwashed, something they seem to be in danger of forgetting as they focus on TV and mainstream acquisitions and let smaller movies go.

By Anne Thompson
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October 3, 2011 11:09 AM
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Fincher Talks Dragon Tattoo With Empire: Lisbeth Salander is Not A Superhero

Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig cover Empire magazine. In this photo, Mara takes a subservient position to Craig (again), as opposed to the Swedish poster. Consider the power dynamics: squatting vs. being on one's knees and standing vs. sitting.