Thompson on Hollywood

007 News: James Bond/Daniel Craig, The Face of Indian Railways; Adele to Record Bond Theme?

Daniel Craig, the James Bond du jour, might trade in his Aston Martin and other fancy wheels for a set of decrepit railway tracks. Daniel Craig is likely to sign on as the official Ambassador of Indian Railways, said Dinesh Trivedi, India’s railways minister. James Bond 23, the newest 007 film, directed by Sam Mendes, will film in India. The new Bond installment features an important sequence on the rails, which required many meetings with ministry officials to obtain permission. As WSJ reports, there needed to be a tradeoff, and Craig’s face on the train, or at least in a television ad, might seal the deal. The Indian railway is less than high-tech, and Trivedi hopes that Craig’s presence will give the train company an image boost.

By Maggie Lange
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September 6, 2011 7:56 AM
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Coen Brother's Folk Music Project Lands Financing

The Coen brothers' next project, a film about the New York City folk scene in the 1960s, has just received funding from StudioCancal, who promised to co-finance this project.

By Maggie Lange
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August 31, 2011 10:50 AM
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Working Women: Keaton & HBO Try Again, New Development Deal; Rhimes Sells Period Drama Gilded Lillys

While Tilda met an unfortunate fate at HBO, the cable channel just signed another development deal with Tilda's would-be star, Diane Keaton. (Here's why the Nikki Finke-inspired series got the axe.)

By Sophia Savage
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August 25, 2011 4:45 AM
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D23 Expo Adds Two New Pixar Pics on Dinosaurs and the Inner Mind, Promos John Carter, The Avengers

The warmth in the Anaheim Convention Center Hall at D23 for Pixar and Disney animation czar John Lasseter was expressed, loudly, with a standing ovation. Also getting one was Billy Crystal (make him Oscar host already!), who's back with John Goodman in Disney/Pixar sequel Monsters University (2013). Borrowing a few pages from Comic-Con, Disney is using its direct relationship with fans and marketing synergy to promote its characters and products at its huge three-day D23. Not getting as warm a welcome as Lasseter was Disney chairman Rich Ross, who still seemed stiff in front of the teleprompters, even when he cried, "cupcakes for everyone!"

By Anne Thompson
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August 21, 2011 1:48 AM
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Jolie & Pitt Take Turns, Which Will Happen First? Gray Man, Slave, Cleopatra, Maleficent, Salt 2

Can Hollywood stop waiting for Brad Pitt? The actor has had two projects announced so far this week. Luckily he'll only be acting in one of them. Scheduling would be tricky either way, since in-demand Pitt and partner Angelina Jolie don't work simultaneously. Jolie has Salt 2, Maleficent and Cleopatra in the pipelines, while Pitt is currently filming Marc Forster's World War Z. Pitt is now in talks to star in The Gray Man, based on Adam Cozad's script (on 2010 Black List), which is an adaptation of Mark Greaney's novel. James Gray (the man behind Joaquin Phoenix starrers We Own the Night and Two Lovers) will direct for New Regency (which was behind Pitt's Fight Club and Mr. and Mrs. Smith). Pitt would play a burned assassin on the run.

By Sophia Savage
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August 16, 2011 8:29 AM
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Three Jeff Buckley Films? Only One has Reeve Carney & Exclusive Rights to Music & Archives

Reeve Carney (actor-singer-songwriter and star of Broadway’s Spiderman: Turn off the Dark; pictured) will play Jeff Buckley in an untitled film. The film, based on Ryan Joffe's story The Rocker, will be directed by Jake Scott (Welcome to the Rileys), and has the exclusive rights to Buckley's music and personal archives, thanks to support from the late musician's mother, Mary Guibert (also serving as exec producer.) Carney will play Buckley as the film navigates through his thirty years, leading up to his accidental drowning in Tennesse's Wolf River. The film will shoot in New York and Memphis starting this November. Carney also has a self-titled band (Carney) which has opened for U2. Scott says Carney has; "the perfect combination of musical prodigy, impish charm, innate intelligence & sensitivity to play Jeff.” More information on this project is below. Here is a selection of Buckley's music.

By Sophia Savage
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August 16, 2011 5:43 AM
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Bridget Jones Three Update: "Still In Development"

Yes, Helen Fielding is working on a third Bridget Jones installment, which will probably deal with the 40ish Bridget's troubles getting pregnant by her adoring swain, Mark Darcy. And yes, we can assume that three major stars will happily return for the third film in a Bridget Jones trilogy--after all, while Colin Firth is at his career apex with an Oscar win for The King's Speech plus the upcoming John le Carre thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which looks damned good, he knows perfectly well that Jane Austen is his career good luck charm. He's the best Darcy ever.

By Anne Thompson and Maggie Lange
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August 12, 2011 8:22 AM
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Fincher's Dragon Tattoo Characters Get Mugshots & Bios; Rooney Mara Defends Salander's Nipples

Check out these mugshots and character descriptions for David Fincher's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Daniel Craig (Mikael Blomkvist), Rooney Mara (Lisbeth Salander), Christopher Plummer (Henrik Vanger), Robin Wright (Erica Berger), Stellan Skarsgard (Martin Vanger) and thirteen other key characters are profiled here (thank you, DailyBlam). Below are Blomkvist and Salander's bios--"pale and anorexic-looking and all but mute, she radiates hostility." Dragon Tattoo, complete with all its sexy-violent-controversial glory and a Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross score (listen to a snatch here), will land December 21.

By Sophia Savage
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August 11, 2011 11:15 AM
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Stoker Cast Update: Kidman, Wasikowska, Mulroney & Goode; Shooting in Nashville

You can't go back to Bram Stoker's Dracula too many times, it seems.

By Sophia Savage
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August 11, 2011 8:36 AM
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Sin City 2 Funded, Bruce Willis Is Newest GI Joe, Keanu Reeves Directs

Keanu Reeves will direct, write and star in Man of Tai Chi, a Mandarin and English language film. He is now is in talks with Village Roadshow Pictures and China Film Group, reports The Wrap. The martial arts film will be Reeves’ directorial debut and will also star Tiger Chen, who was part of the martial arts team on The Matrix.