Thompson on Hollywood

Venice Fest Preview: Early Art

Here is some early art for several of the movies coming up at the Venice Film Fest. (I arrive there August 31 by train after spending two days in Rome; I leave September 8 for the Toronto Film Festival.) I'll write up early coverage of opener Darren Aronofsky's ballet drama Black Swan, starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel as a tough ballet master (modeled after Georges Balanchine), who I interviewed Monday. That film will likely show in Telluride as well as Toronto.

By Anne Thompson
|
August 5, 2010 12:59 PM
|
1 Comment

More:

Never Let Me Go Opens London Film Festival

Fox Searchlight is parceling out its fall line-up across various festivals. Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan is opening Venice and will likely play Telluride as well as Toronto. Now we learn that Mark Romanek's Never Let Me Go is opening the the 54th BFI London Film Festival on October 13.

By Anne Thompson
|
August 5, 2010 12:08 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Mid-Summer Box Office Wrap: Top Ten Chart, Studio Report Card

At mid-summer, the box office is lagging just behind last year's pace and ticket sales are flat, reports Anthony D'Alessandro, who charts the season's winners, losers and studio market shares so far (as of last weekend). Will red-hot Inception take the number one box office crown from Toy Story 3? Stay tuned, as numbers and rankings will change by Labor Day.

By Anthony D'Allessandro
|
August 5, 2010 5:37 AM
|
5 Comments

Black Swan Opens 67th Venice Biennale; American Films Expected; Where's Margaret?

Not completed in time for Cannes, Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan will make its world debut as the opening night film at the Venice Film Festival, which runs on The Lido from September 1 through September 11. This means that while I will see it there, Black Swan will likely not play the other fall fests.

By Anne Thompson
|
July 22, 2010 2:20 AM
|
0 Comments

More:

LAFF: Kids Are All Right Scores During Lakers Riot, 30 Films to See

The Thursday night opening of the LA Film Fest was not quite what the organizers had hoped for, with the NBA final game right next door at the Staples Center. That was one risk the LAFF took this year by moving the festival downtown. Film Independent chief Dawn Hudson insists that the influx of apartment dwellers and lively night life downtown is bound to invigorate the fest. (But Westsiders especially dread the drive during rush hour.)

By Anne Thompson
|
June 19, 2010 10:35 AM
|
0 Comments

More:

Weekend Box Office: Toy Story 3 Opens to $41 Million, Jonah Hex Flops

The early weekend box office reports are showing a record-breaking $41 million Friday opening for Toy Story 3, which is on track to gross $115-120 million for the weekend, and eventually seize the summer box-office crown. (Mubi posts a review round-up of weekend openers.)

By Anne Thompson
|
June 19, 2010 8:40 AM
|
2 Comments

More:

Trailer Watch: Conviction Tugs at Tear Ducts

Fox Searchlight is releasing the online trailer for Tony Goldwyn's R-rated Conviction today (below). This trailer will debut on E.T. tonight and hit theaters attached to the Duplass brothers' summer comedy Cyrus on Friday. The movie opens October 12.

By Anne Thompson
|
June 17, 2010 11:08 AM
|
0 Comments

More:

Trailer Watch: Never Let Me Go

One award-season play for Fox Searchlight this year is Mark Romanek's Never Let Me Go, set for October 1 release. (The trailer is below.) Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield lead the cast of the film adapted by Alex Garland from the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of the Day). Romanek, who last directed One Hour Photo eight years ago, has much to prove here, following two big-budget studio films that imploded. He left Universal's The Wolf Man over budget issues--a penny-wise, pound-foolish call that the studio regrets in retrospect. And Tom Hanks-starrer Cold Case also fell apart.

By Anne Thompson
|
June 16, 2010 1:46 AM
|
1 Comment

More:

I Love You Philip Morris is Blocked, Cameron Calls BP Morons, PR Bypasses Old Media, New Indies Rise

- Phillip Morris isn't feeling loved. After three changes to its US release date, the romantic comedy starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor as gay lovers is now facing an injunction that could stop its release. THR Esq. reports that producer EuropaCorp and distributor Consolidated are battling over a contracted $3-million advance that was never paid in full, resulting in EuropaCorp's demand for return of marketing materials and a suit against Consolidated for breach of contract and copyright infringement. Although Consolidated claims that it still plans to distribute the film, Judge Dale Fischer says that EuropaCorp is likely to win. Consolidated's lawyer is still optimistic, but, heading into IFTA arbitration, the final ruling and release of I Love You Phillip Morris are still unknowns.