Thompson on Hollywood

Trailer Watch: The Hurt Locker

Summit picked up Kathryn Bigelow's riveting, intense Iraq thriller The Hurt Locker out of Toronto, and has posted the latest trailer here. Jeremy Renner, who stars in the new TV series The Unusuals, could break out with this movie, which is set for June 26 release.

By Anne Thompson
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April 15, 2009 8:35 AM
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Julie & Julia: Women and Food

On its surface, a movie about a dowdy middle-aged woman chef--even French cooking icon Julia Child--may not seem commercial. But several elements in this mix could make Julie & Julia, which Sony opens August 7, commercial indeed.

By Anne Thompson
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April 14, 2009 5:39 AM
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Recession Era Movies: From Fast & Furious to Grapes of Wrath

As Fast & Furious does better at the weekend b.o. than it has any right to do--the weekend was up 75-80% from last year-- Entertainment Weekly's Mark Harris sees the first casualty of the recession: ambition. If all audiences want is escape, he worries, that's all the studios and TV networks will give them. "Stop the inanity!" he pleads.

By Anne Thompson
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April 6, 2009 5:30 AM
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Duplicity: What Happened?

While a recession-fueled box office boom is lifting most boats, one notable exception is Tony Gilroy's Duplicity, which boasted the earmarks of a commercial Hollywood vehicle--big budget, exotic locations, thriller genre, two sexy movie stars--but may have been too costly for what was really a smart-house play. (It earned strong reviews, but only $27 million so far.) Part of the problem: Universal paid Julia Roberts $20 million.

By Anne Thompson
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April 2, 2009 5:56 AM
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Trailer Watch: Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno

Universal has posted a red band trailer for Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno on MySpace.

By Anne Thompson
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April 2, 2009 5:54 AM
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ShoWest: Activist Doc The Cove Is Summer Counter-Programmer

ShoWest screened the activist Sundance doc The Cove, which Roadside Attractions and Participant Media picked up after the fest and will open this July as a summer counter-programmer. National Geographic photographer Louie Psihoyos founded the Oceanic Preservation Society and channeled his passion for saving dolphins into making a movie that plays (somewhat like Man on Wire) like a thriller. The film focuses on dolphin activist Richard O‚ÄôBarry, who fell in love with the dolphins he wrangled on the TV show Flipper. At this point, if O'Barry or the filmmakers return to Japan they face arrest.

By Anne Thompson
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April 2, 2009 5:50 AM
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ShoWest: Bullock vs. Reynolds in The Proposal

I'm a sucker for a good rom-com. Disney screened The Proposal, the latest rom-com from director Anne Fletcher (27 Dresses). From column A comes the uptight urban workaholic nightmare boss (Sandra Bullock) who is thrown into column B, a rural fish-out-of-water situation with the endearing family of her handsome, ambitious, super-competent assistant (Ryan Reynolds). Think Sweet Home Alabama meets the old Bullock/Bill Paxton Pullman chestnut While You Were Sleeping. In other words, we find out how sensitive the bitch boss really is (she lost her family years ago) while she falls in love with her assistant--and vice versa--and his family. It works. I've always liked Bullock, who looks great. I'm not sure how I feel about Reynolds; I've missed most of his movies so far. He's okay. This will do fine. Betty White as grammy is worth her weight.

By Anne Thompson
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April 1, 2009 6:02 AM
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Mortensen Open to Role in The Hobbit

Viggo Mortensen mentioned the possibility of appearing in the Peter Jackson/Guillermo del Toro production of J.R.R. Tolkein's The Hobbit while accepting the Jameson Empire Icon Award Monday night in London:

By Anne Thompson
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March 31, 2009 6:40 AM
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Public Enemies' Marion Cotillard Ramps Up

It's rare for a European actress to carve out a career in Hollywood. But honing her English with rounds of Berlitz and winning both the best actress Oscar and Cesar awards for La Vie en Rose have spun Marion Cotillard into a whirlwind of film roles. First, she went to Chicago to shoot Michael Mann's Public Enemies, playing moll Billie Frechette to Johnny Depp's gangster John Dillinger (July 1).

By Anne Thompson
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March 31, 2009 6:31 AM
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Scorsese's Shutter Island Poster

Here's a teaser poster for Martin Scorsese and Laeta Kalogridis' adaptation of the Dennis Lehane novel Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo. Here's the official website. Paramount is set to open the film October 2.