THE HOBBIT to Star Billy Connolly as Dwarven Warrior

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 4:57 pm

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe there is a vast array of characters available for actors to portray. Some, like Evangeline Lilly’s elf, Tauriel, are created specifically for The Hobbit, while some actors, like Benedict Cumberbatch (War Horse), lend their performance and voice to a mythological creature. Then there is Billy Connolly (Boondock Saints) who gets to play one of the most fearsome and storied dwarves in all of Tolkien’s tomes. The Scottish actor will play Dain Ironfoot, cousin to Thorin Oakenshield (played by Richard Armitage) and a power-player in dwarven royalty. Having brought Connolly on as Ironfoot, director Peter Jackson commented on how this latest addition has completed the cast. Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

300: BATTLE OF ARTEMISIA to Star Sullivan Stapleton

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 4:12 pm

The 300 sequel, 300: Battle of Artemisia has finally cast its first male lead in the form of Sullivan Stapleton (Animal Kingdom). Stapleton will star opposite Eva Green (Casino Royale), who was in recent talks to play Artemisia, the “ruthless, gold-covered goddess who persuades Xerxes to amass his army and helps lead them into battle.” There is currently some confusion as to whether Stapleton will be cast as Xerxes (portrayed in the original 300 by Rodrigo Santoro) or if he will be portraying the lead role of Themistocles, the leader of the Greek forces who oppose the Persian army.

Directed by Noam Murro (Smart People) and written/produced by 300 director Zack Snyder, 300: Battle of Artemisia takes place in a similar time as the original but will have a new setting and cast of characters. Hit the jump for more.

Justin Long, Evan Rachel Wood, and Peter Dinklage to Star in A CASE OF YOU

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 3:43 pm

Justin Long is gearing up to stretch his filmmaking chops behind the camera. Long wrote and will produce the indie A Case of You, which he will also star in alongside Evan Rachel Wood and Peter Dinklage. Variety reports that the story centers on “a young writer who tries to impress a girl he meets online with an embellished profile, but finds himself in a real mess when she falls for him and he has to keep up the act.” While the logline seems a bit “teen comedy”, I’m encouraged by the cast and, ultimately, Long’s involvement. He’s been a standout in a large number of films over the past few years and I’m interested to see something that comes straight from his creative voice. Also, Dinklage rules. Neither Wood nor Long have anything (officially) on the immediate horizon, but Dinklage can be seen in the second season of Game of Thrones starting April 1st on HBO. He returns to film season three later this summer.

This Season of HOUSE M.D. Will Be the Last

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 3:27 pm

After much speculation, the producers of House M.D. have finally come to a smart decision. The current eighth season of the medical drama series starring Hugh Laurie will be the last. With Lisa Edelstein opting not to come back this season, the writing was on the wall for Dr. Gregory House to end his practice, and now it’s official. While the show certainly should come to an end at this point, this season has been surprisingly decent, especially with new cast members like Charlyne Yi and Odette Annable. The most recent episode, a departure from the show’s usual formula, was one of the best of the season, and while the writers certainly still have some fight left in them, it’s time to give House and his team a respectful exit. Does that mean we’ll see some old faces stop by for a clean wrap up? We’ll have to wait and see. Hit the jump for a heartfelt thanks and farewell from producers David Shore, Katie Jacobs and Hugh Laurie, as well as a statement from Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.

Maya Rudolph to Host SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE on February 18th

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 3:16 pm

It’s always fun when Saturday Night Live alums return to host, so it’s great to hear from NBC that Maya Rudolph, who can currently be seen on the comedy series Up All Night, will return to Studio 8H on February 18th. That likely means we’ll see the Bridesmaids star reprise some of her characters from years past including her outrageous Whitney Huston and maybe even a new Bronx Beat if Amy Poehler can be coaxed to make a guest appearance. Rudolph will be joined by musical guest Sleigh Bells making their network television debut.

Alfred Molina to Lead David E. Kelley’s New TNT Medical Drama CHELSEA GENERAL

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 2:50 pm

Since it seems like House M.D. might be on the way out, the time is coming for a new medical drama to step up to the plate. Perhaps Alfred Molina will be a good substitute for Hugh Laurie as Deadline reports the Spider-Man 2 star will lead David E. Kelley’s TNT medical drama Chelsea General. The new series is based on Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s forthcoming novel Monday Mornings, a story that follows five surgeons as they push the limits of their abilities and confront their personal and professional failings (sound familiar?) The series takes place during the hospital’s Monday Morbidity and Mortality conference, considered the most secretive meeting in all of medicine, where doctors gather for a confidential review of complications and errors in patient care. More details after the jump.

Set Photos from M. Night Shyamalan’s AFTER EARTH Starring Will Smith

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 2:03 pm

Production is currently underway on M. Night Shyamalan’s new sci-fi project After Earth, and the director and star Will Smith have been sharing a few photos from the set with fans eager to see how Shyamalan will ruin yet another movie. The good news is that Shyamalan got help on the script from Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli) and Stephen Gaghan (Traffic), so hopefully the story is being reigned in. Previously titled 1000 A.E., the film is set 1000 years in the future and centers on a young boy navigating “an abandoned and sometimes scary Earth to save himself and his estranged father after their ship crashes.” Smith stars alongside his son Jaden Smith, who toplined the recent Karate Kid remake. The premise is interesting enough and the inclusion of Gaghan gives me hope that maybe After Earth will serve as a much-needed comeback for the Signs director.

The photos don’t show anyone in costume, but we do get a look at the Smiths and Shyamalan on the gorgeous Costa Rica set. Shyamalan reveals through comments on the photos that this is the first film he’s shooting digitally and he’s using the Sony F65. Hit the jump to check out the photos. The film also stars Zoe Kravitz, Sophie Okonedo, and Isabelle Fuhrman. After Earth opens June 7th, 2013.

STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D Interview with Supervising Sound Editor Matthew Wood

by Steven Shaw    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 1:45 pm

With the release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D this weekend, Twentieth Century Fox recently hosted a press junket at Skywalker Ranch and Lucasfilm.  In an effort to promote the experience for the next generation, my seven year-old daughter, Cyan, interviewed four people who helped bring George Lucas’ vision to life.  Her third interview was with Matthew Wood, a supervising sound editor with Skywalker Sound who worked to secure Academy Award nominations for Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing for The Phantom Menace.  In Episode I, he is the voice of all the droids and in Episode III and The Clone Wars animated series he is the voice of General Grievous.  Hit the jump to watch the interview.

Linda Cardellini RETURN Interview

by Christina Radish    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 1:20 pm

The indie drama Return (opening in theaters on February 10^th) tells the story of Kelli (Linda Cardellini), a woman back from a military tour of duty, who’s looking forward to rejoining her old life with her husband (Michael Shannon) and children. Even though she wanted nothing more than to experience the feelings of everyday life again, she slowly realizes that her world has become unfamiliar. Her friends and family just don’t understand what she’s been through, and she doesn’t know how to overcome that to move forward.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, actress Linda Cardellini talked about what attracted her to this role, finding ways to identify with this woman even though she never chose to make the same sacrifice, talking to people with similar experiences to hear their stories and how they dealt with returning home after war, working with two amazing co-stars like Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire) and John Slattery (Mad Men), and the challenges of being on screen for almost every single minute of the film. She also talked about last year’s Freaks and Geeks reunion at PaleyFest and what it was like to see not just her co-stars but their families again, how she got interested in writing and developing her own projects, and what she’s looking for now in acting roles. Check out what she had to say after the jump:

John Goodman Joins Clint Eastwood in the Baseball Drama TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 1:03 pm

The cast for the baseball drama Trouble with the Curve is shaping up to be quite impressive. Clint Eastwood first signed on to the pic to play a baseball scout going blind who decides to take his daughter on one last scouting trip. Amy Adams quickly joined the cast as Eastwood’s daughter, and recently Justin Timberlake—furthering his increasingly impressive film resume—signed on to play a former pitcher and current scout who takes a liking to Adams.  Now Variety reports that John Goodman has signed on to play “an old-school scout and longtime friend of Eastwood’s character who still believes in the man’s ability to spot talent.” Goodman makes a fantastic addition, and I’m becoming more and more interested in this project with each casting announcement.

Eastwood’s longtime producing partner Robert Lorenz is making his directorial debut with the drama, which was written by Randy Brown. Goodman recently wrapped two highly anticipated projects—Robert Zemeckis’ return to live-action Flight with Denzel Washington, and Ben Affleck’s next directorial effort Argo. He’s also set to soon reteam with Joel and Ethan Coen on the folk music pic Inside Llewyn Davis which also stars Timberlake.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone Confirmed to Team Up for THE TOMB; Mikael Hafstrom Will Direct

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 12:36 pm

For those who like their action pics packed with extra brawn, The Tomb is shaping up to be your kind of flick. The long-in-development actioner has seen Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, and Arnold Schwarzenegger circle the lead role over the years, with Stallone finally signing on last October. We recently heard that Stallone was talking with his pal Schwarzenegger about joining the film in a different role, and today that news has been confirmed as both Stallone and Schwarzenegger are set to star. Stallone plays Ray Breslin, the world’s foremost authority on structural security. Breslin is framed and incarcerated in a prison of his own master design, and must now figure out how to break out (shouldn’t be too difficult if he designed the damn building). Hit the jump for more, including details on Schwarzenegger’s character.

SXSW Midnighters Line-Up Announced; Includes V/H/S, JOHN DIES AT THE END, and IRON SKY

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 12:35 pm

SXSW has announced their “Midnighters” line-up for this year’s film festival.  The section includes Sundance premieres V/H/S (my review) and Don Coscarelli’s John Dies at the End, plus other exciting entries like Austin Chick’s Girls Against Boys, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s Intruders, Paco Plaza’s [REC] ³ GENESIS, and Timo Vuorensola’s Iron Sky.

Hit the jump for the full Midnighters line-up.  The 2012 SXSW Film Festival runs from March 9 – 17th.

Casting Call: Tom Felton Joins Elizabeth Olsen in THERESE RAQUIN; Jaimie Alexander Lands Female Lead in Thriller INTERSECTION

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 11:55 am

We’ve got a couple of casting stories to share with you today. First up, Harry Potter star Tom Felton set to join the cast of Therese Raquin. Based on the 19th century novel and play by Emile Zola, the dark thriller revolves around young Therese (Elizabeth Olsen) in 1867 Paris, whose aunt, Madame Raquin (Glenn Close), is forcing her into an arranged marriage with her rich, but sickly, first cousin. As Therese soon becomes obsessed with Laurent, a friend of her husband, a devastating affair ensues with a very heavy price. Deadline reports that Felton is in talks to play Therese’s sickly cousin whom she marries. Theater director Charlie Stratton is set to helm, and the dramatic role is a nice get for Felton. It’s a wise decision, as the “sickly cousin” plays against the nefarious type that Felton is surely wary of being typecast as.

Additionally, Thor star Jaimie Alexander has landed the female lead in the thriller Intersection. Variety reports that Alexander will play a woman who plots to murder her husband with the help of her lover. “Things go awry when the lover and husband are involved in a car accident on a remote desert road.”  Frank Grillo (The Grey) stars as the husband, and production begins next month. Alexander recently wrapped The Last Stand with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Hit the jump to read synopsis for Therese Raquin.

Beware of Moon Nazis: Official Trailer for IRON SKY

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 11:21 am

Iron Sky has one of those nutty premises I absolutely love.  The story is that Nazis landed on the moon 70 years ago and have been biding their time to launch an invasion.  They decide they’ve been waiting long enough, take to their fleet of flying saucers, and begin a full scale attack of Earth.  Not wacky enough? There’s also a Sarah Palin parody as the U.S. President, and the film takes place six years from now.  Also, the movie co-stars Udo Kier.  But in the end: moon Nazis.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer along with a press release about the film’s upcoming premiere at the Berlin Film Festival.  Iron Sky is set to hit theaters on April 4th.

Acquisition News: IFC Films Lands THE SHINING Documentary ROOM 237; Magnolia Pictures Acquires Rob Reiner’s THE MAGIC OF BELLE ISLE

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 11:02 am

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival just ended and the Berlin Film Festival is about to get underway, so don’t expect the acquisition stories to slow down. As such, we’ve got two fresh acquisitions to share with you today. First up, IFC Films has picked up the Sundance documentary Room 237. The film examines the numerous theories surrounding the “real meaning” of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. The doc was a big hit at the fest (you can read Matt’s review here), but many questioned the logistics of releasing it theatrically due to the fact that it’s comprised of footage from The Shining, which could possibly lead to legal entanglements. IFC’s acquisition is great news and I’m glad to see that us common folk will get a chance to check out the flick sometime soon.

Deadline reports that the film may screen in the New Directors/New Film series in New York, and it’s a likely bet for the Cannes Film Festival. IFC plans on releasing the pic domestically later this year through a day-and-date theatrical and VOD release. If you haven’t surmised from our previous acquisition stories, VOD is all the rage at the moment and is a likely staple in the future of film distribution. Hit the jump for acquisition news concerning Rob Reiner’s The Magic of Belle Isle.

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