Aaron Johnson

Oliver Stone’s SAVAGES Bumped up to July 6th

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 31st, 2012 at 9:07 am

Oliver Stone‘s adaptation of Don Winslow‘s crime novel Savages has been moved up from September 28th to July 6th.  Deadline reports that Universal changed the date after a test screening late last week.  The film centers on two Laguna Beach marijuana kingpins (Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson) who encounter a world of trouble when their shared girlfriend (Blake Lively) is kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel.  The film’s impressive cast also features Benicio Del Toro, Demian Bichir, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Salma Hayek, and Emile Hirsch.

Hit the jump for an official synopsis and what Savages will be up against at the box office.

First Trailer for ALBERT NOBBS Starring Glenn Close

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: October 12th, 2011 at 7:26 pm

Glenn Close has spent the last three decades trying to bring Albert Nobbs to the screen after the title role won her an Obie in 1982.  She’s finally succeeded, and we’ve got the trailer to prove it.  Close plays a shy butler with a secret: ” ‘He’ is a woman who has had to behave as a man all her life in order to escape a life of poverty and loneliness.”  Janet McTeer, Mia Wasikowska, Aaron Johnson, and Pauline Collins also star.  Rodrigo Garcia (In Treatment) directed the adaptation from a screenplay by Close and John Banville, based on the short story by George Moore.

I am way too immature for the subject matter, and the film received mixed reviews at Telluride and TIFF.  But the trailer suggests a handsomely shot period piece and a tender approach to the story.  If you’re one of those mature cinephiles, check out the trailer plus two clips after the jump to judge for yourself.

Emile Hirsch Joins Oliver Stone’s SAVAGES

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 22nd, 2011 at 1:28 pm

Oliver Stone’s Savages continues to round up an impressive cast even though Stone hasn’t made a good film in over a decade.  According to Variety, the latest talented actor to board the flick is Emile Hirsh.  There are currently no details on which role he’ll play, but he’ll be starring alongside Benecio Del Toro, Salma Hayek, Blake Lively, Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson, John Travolta, and Uma Thurman.  The film is based on Don Winslow’s novel which centers a pair of marijuana growers (Kitsch and Johnson) who are forced to work in a Mexican cartel after their friend is kidnapped.  Stone is revising the script Winslow co-wrote with Shane Salerno.

Hirsch recently wrapped filming on William Friedkin’s dark comedy Killer Joe and he’s currently at work on The Motel Life alongside Stephen Dorff and Dakota Fanning.  Hit the jump to read the synopsis for Savages.

Blake Lively, John Travolta, and Uma Thurman Join Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson SAVAGES

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: April 21st, 2011 at 7:29 pm

We heard last week Blake Lively was the frontrunner to play Ophelia in Oliver Stone’s adaptation of Savages, though for scheduling she had to choose between Savages and Oz: The Great and Powerful.  It seems Disney must look elsewhere for a Glinda the Good Witch, because Lively has signed on to Savages.  Additionally, John Travolta and Uma Thurman have joined a cast that is blossoming terrifically.  Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson, Salma Hayek, and Benicio Del Toro have long eyed roles in the film; Deadline writes confidently tonight that all four are on board.

Shane Salerno adapted the screenplay with Savages author Don Winslow.  The story centers a pair of marijuana growers (Kitsch and Johnson) who get into trouble with a Mexican drug cartel.  Read the full synopsis after the jump.

Aaron Johnson Offered Lead in Oliver Stone’s SAVAGES; Johnson and Jude Law in Talks for Joe Wright’s ANNA KARENINA

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: March 17th, 2011 at 6:29 pm

Quickly becoming one of the most sought-after young actors at the moment, Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) has been offered the lead role in two high-profile projects. First up, Deadline reports that Johnson is mulling over one of the two lead roles in director Oliver Stone’s adaptation of the Don Winslow novel Savages. The flick tells the story of two pot-growers whose shared girlfriend gets kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel. Jennifer Lawrence was in talks to take on the role of the girlfriend, but her attachment to The Hunger Games throws her involvement into jeopardy given that both flicks will be shooting this summer.

Variety reports that Johnson and Jude Law are in talks to star in director Joe Wright’s (Atonement) adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s classic tragic love story Anna Karenina. Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love) wrote the screenplay and Keira Knightley is set to star. Anna Karenina will shoot this fall, so Johnson could feasibly do both films. Hit the jump for a synopsis of both novels.

2011 BAFTA Rising Star Nominees Announced

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 10th, 2011 at 8:18 am

The 2011 BAFTA Rising Star Nominees have been announced.  According to THR, “the nominations recognize five international actors and actresses whose talent has captured the imagination of the British public.”  The nominees are Emma Stone (Easy A), Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), Tom Hardy (Inception), Gemma Arterton (Tamara Drewe), and Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass).  It’s hard to argue that any of these actors aren’t rising stars, especially when two of them are starring in the Spider-Man reboot (Stone and Garfield) and one is costarring in The Dark Knight Rises (Hardy).  Previous winners include James McAvoy (2006), Eva Green (2007), Shia LaBeouf (2008), Noel Clarke (2009), and Kristen Stewart (2010).

Winners will be announced Sunday, February 13th.  Other 2011 BAFTA nominations will be announced January 18th.

Aaron Johnson and Mia Wasikowska Join Glenn Close and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers for ALBERT NOBBS

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: December 6th, 2010 at 9:25 pm

Once upon a time, Orlando Bloom and Amanda Seyfried were set to star opposite Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs.  Not so anymore, though Close is still in place as producer, co-writer, and star in the role that won her an Obie back in 1982.  ScreenTerrier [via The Playlist] reports Seyfried’s role has been filled by Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland); Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) will replace Bloom as it preps for shooting in the coming weeks.  I’d give the slight edge to Seyfried over Wasikowska here, but Johnson is a major upgrade from Mr. Bloom.  Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors) also stars.

Rodrigo Garcia (In Treatment) directs from a script by Close and John Banville, based on the George Moore short story about a woman (Close) who has been disguising herself as a man to escape poverty.  Hit the jump for the official synopsis.

Bryan Singer Testing Actors for JACK THE GIANT KILLER, Including Aaron Johnson and Nicholas Hoult

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 30th, 2010 at 7:30 pm

Last we heard, New Line had greenlit Jack the Giant Killer from director Bryan Singer, who was in the early stages of casting. Singer has narrowed his casting list down, and is set to start screen testing a number of actors for both the male and female lead in the adventure film that finds the aptly-named Jack attempting to rescue a princess from giants.  Heat Vision reports that Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass), Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man), and Aneurin Barnard have been asked to come in and test for the title role. Johnson has long been thought to be the frontrunner for the role, and his Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn has recently been working closely with Singer on X-Men: First Class. Funnily enough, Hoult is currently filming his role as Beast in X-Men: First Class. Barnard is a relative newcomer, best known for his performance in the West End production of Spring Awakening.

Actresses considered for the role of the princess include Adelaide Kane (Power Rangers: RPM), Lily Collins (The Blind Side), and Juno Temple (Greenberg). Screen tests are set to take place in London in the next two weeks. For more on the project, hit the jump.

Bryan Singer’s JACK THE GIANT KILLER Gets Green Lit; Aaron Johnson As the Lead?

by Kimberly Lucas    Posted: October 21st, 2010 at 5:33 pm

Bryan Singer’s Jack the Giant Killer has been green lit by New Line Cinema, and Singer is currently looking at actors to take the lead. Deadline reports that Aaron Johnson, with fantastic recent performances in Kick-Ass and Nowhere Boy, is a favorite, but other actors are still being looked at.

Written by Darren Lemke and Mark Bomback, Jack the Giant Killer is a dark version of the classic fairy tale of Jack and the Beanstalk.  Singer has been courting this project for some time, and is now seeing some major progress in its pre-production.  Hit the jump for more information on Singer’s other projects, including X-Men: First Class.

Aaron Johnson Interview NOWHERE BOY

by Christina Radish    Posted: October 6th, 2010 at 8:40 am

The drama Nowhere Boy details the crucial formative teenage years of John Lennon (Aaron Johnson), and depicts the events and personal circumstances that led to the later formation of the Beatles. Opening the weekend of Lennon’s birthday (he would have been 70 on October 9^th), the film shows the clash between Julia (Anne-Marie Duff), the free-spirited mother who gave John away in his infancy for personal reasons, and her sister Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas), the Aunt who stepped in and raised him. When John turns to music as his escape path, he finds a kindred spirit in the teenage Paul McCartney (Thomas Brodie Sangster) and together they form a band that will eventually become the Beatles.

At a roundtable interview for the film’s press day, actor Aaron Johnson, best known for his work in Kick-Ass, talked about the overwhelming prospect of taking on a character as iconic as John Lennon, singing and playing guitar on film for the first time, doing justice to such a beloved individual, and receiving the praise of Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono for the final product. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

CONFIRMED: Aaron Johnson NOT in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 5th, 2010 at 12:31 pm

It looks like Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) won’t be trading in his batons for an optic visor.  Movieweb reports that contrary to early rumors, Johnson will not play Cyclops or any other role in Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class.  As late as a month ago, AICN was reporting that Johnson was a “done deal” to play the role.  But the following day, EW said that Johnson wasn’t in the movie, period.  Speaking to Movieweb, producer Tarquin Pack debunked the rumor:

Nothing you don’t know about, yeah. Don’t believe everything you read in the papers about Aaron, unfortunately. Aaron’s kind of busy, yeah.

Basically, it looks like at one point Johnson was very close to having the part and for whatever reason, it didn’t work out.  As for “Aaron’s kind of busy”, The Playlist reports that Johnson recently became a first-time father (the actor was also reportedly in the running to play Spider-Man before Andrew Garfield got the gig).  Hit the jump for the current casting break-down for X-Men: First Class.

Edi Gathegi Cast as Mutant “Darwin” in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 27th, 2010 at 4:13 pm

Edi Gathegi (Twilight) has been cast as the mutant “Darwin” in Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class.  The character’s mutant ability is “reactive evolution”, which means he can instantly adapt to any environment.  So if he’s underwater, he’ll grow gills.  If he’s in a fire, his skin will become flame-retardant.  If he’s at a Nickelback concert, he’ll remove his ability to hear.  Gathegi recently wrapped filming on the Paul Johansson-directed adaptation of the Ayn Rand novel Atlas Shrugged.

Deadline also reports that Aaron Johnson is still rumored to play the role of Cyclops although EW says Johnson’s he’s not playing Cyclops or any other role in the movie.  EW also said that Fox is releasing the names of characters who aren’t in the film so that it will be a surprise for fans when it’s announced which roles the actors are really playing.  Hit the jump for more confirmed and rumored casting.  X-Men: First Class is set to open on June 3, 2011.

Kevin Bacon in Talks to Play Unnamed Villain in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 9th, 2010 at 1:48 pm

With filming set to begin next month in London, X-Men: First Class casting news remains unrelenting.  The latest casting news comes from Deadline who says that Kevin Bacon is in negotiations to play an unnamed villain in the film.  Some are speculating that Bacon is in talks to play Mister Sinister.  It’s not bad speculation.  The central plotline involves friends Professor Charles Xavier (played by James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) coming into conflict over the relationship between humanity and mutantkind.  It would make sense that the villain be a human who becomes a mutant through genetic modification.  Sinister would be a physical embodiment of Xavier and Magneto’s conflict.

This latest piece of First Class-related casting news follows today’s earlier story that Lucas Till was attached to play Havok and Aaron Johnson wasn’t playing Cyclops (or any other character in the movie), and yesterday’s news that Nicholas Hoult and Caleb Landry Jones were playing Beast and Banshee, respectively.  Hit the jump for what we believe to be the current state of the film’s cast.  Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class is set to open on June 3, 2011.

Lucas Till to Play Havok in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS? Aaron Johnson NOT in the Movie? Falsifying Characters Included to Surprise Fans?

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 9th, 2010 at 1:20 pm

Here’s an interesting bit of casting and un-casting news for you today.  EW.com reports that Lucas Till (Hannah Montana: The Movie) has been cast at the mutant “Havok” in Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class.  It’s news that follows yesterday’s wave of casting news that had Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man) playing Beast, Caleb Landry Jones (The Last Exorcism) playing Banshee, and Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) playing Cyclops.  EW also says that last bit of casting is false and that Johnson isn’t playing Cyclops or any other role in the film.

But then Entertainment Weekly goes on to say that these actors may be playing characters that are different than the ones being reported.  Hit the jump for what’s baffling and where the (presumed) casting currently stands.

Aaron Johnson to Play Cyclops in Matthew Vaughn’s X-MEN: FIRST CLASS?

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: July 8th, 2010 at 9:21 am

While rumors of Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass, Nowhere Boy) playing Cyclops in Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class have been online for over a month, it seems the story might be true as AICN has gotten an email from scooper “Son of Rothman” saying it’s a done deal.  The name is a play on 20th Century Fox President Tom Rothman.  If the casting news is true, he’ll be joining Michael Fassbender (Magneto) and James McAvoy (Professor X).  A lot of other names have been reported online, but I don’t believe any are officially confirmed.

I recently spoke to producer Lauren Shuler Donner and she said they start filming X-Men: First Class next month in London.  What that means is, we’re going to start hearing a lot more casting announcements very soon.  However, if Fox is smart, they’d get the cast together and bring them down to Comic-Con and put them on the stage in Hall H.  It would definitely get a lot of press and the fans would love it.  Also, with the release date June 3, 2011, this is the only Comic-Con for this movie.  More after the jump:

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