Ben Whishaw

Release Date and Runtime Announced for The Wachowski Siblings & Tom Twyker’s CLOUD ATLAS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 17th, 2012 at 11:03 am

The Wachowski Siblings and Tom Twyker‘s highly ambitious adaptation of Cloud Atlas now has a release date and a run-time.  According to Thompson on Hollywood, Warner Bros. has picked up distribution rights at Cannes for $20 million, and will release the movie on December 6th.  Additionally, the movie reportedly runs at 2-hours and 44-minutes, which seems about right when you consider that the movie spans six time periods, and you have an ensemble cast each playing multiple roles.  For example, Hugh Grant will be playing six “incredibly evil” characters in the movie, and Halle Berry said one of her roles is a Jewish woman in the 1930s, and another is an old tribal woman.

Hit the jump for a synopsis.  Cloud Atlas also stars Tom Hanks, Susan Sarandon, Hugo Weaving, Ben Whishaw, James D’Arcy, and Jim Sturgess.   Surprisingly, the only other film set to open the same weekend as Cloud Atlas is Hyde Park on Hudson, but the following Friday is the blockbuster one-two punch of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Les Miserables.

Ben Whishaw to Play Q in New James Bond Film, SKYFALL

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 25th, 2011 at 7:09 am

Back in July, we heard that Naomie Harris would be playing Moneypenny in the new James Bond film, Skyfall.  However, during the press conference for the movie, we learned the rumor was false and that Harris was playing a field operative named “Eve”.  But now it looks like another fan-favorite character will be returning to the fold.  THR has confirmed Internet chatter that Ben Whishaw (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer) will play James Bond’s gadget guru, Q.  As far as the character’s participation in the previous movies, there’s not much to say other than he provided a dry-witted introduction to the gadgets Bond used over the course of the film.

Hit the jump for more on the history of Q.  Directed by Sam Mendes,  Skyfall also stars Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, and Ralph Fiennes.  The film opens November 9, 2012.  Whishaw also co-stars in the Wachowski Siblings‘ and Tom Tykwer‘s upcoming adaptation of Cloud Atlas.

Ben Whishaw and Helen McCrory Join JAMES BOND 23; Berenice Marlohe Confirmed to Play Bond Girl

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 7th, 2011 at 6:56 am

Casting on the next James Bond film continues to fill in.  The Daily Mail reports that Ben Whishaw (The Tempest) and Helen McCrory (who plays Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter films) have signed on to the flick, although there are currently no details on their roles.  Furthermore, The Daily Mail has confirmed an earlier report that French actress Berenice Marlohe will play the new Bond girl in the upcoming untitled sequel.  No details are known about her character beyond “Pretty Lady that 007 will be schtupping at some point.”

Almost everything on the plot is being kept tight under wraps, but that’s usually the case with a Bond film this far out.  Daniel Craig will return to play James Bond and Judi Dench is back as “M”.  Javier Bardem is on board to play the villain, Naomie Harris is Miss Moneypenny, and the Daily Mail’s Baz Bamigboye says “Ralph Fiennes will play a role so top secret, I swallowed a pill to make me forget what I was told.”  The 23rd James Bond film (possibly entitled Skyfall) opens November 9, 2012.

TIFF 2011: TWIXT Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 15th, 2011 at 10:28 pm

Francis Ford Coppola’s Twixt wants to take pot shots at every kind of horror story by working under the guise of being a bad horror movie.  Coppola mocks Edgar Allan Poe, Steven King, vampire stories, and 3D but his criticism is rarely playful.  Twixt wants to keep things silly and fun in the “real” half of the story but then wants act superior when it comes to the ethereal aspects of its tale.  The result is a film that’s always campy, somewhat lazy, and more than a little tiresome.

Ben Whishaw Reveals Actors Will Swap Gender and Race for CLOUD ATLAS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 31st, 2011 at 8:42 am

We knew that the Wachowski Siblings/Tom Tykwer’s adaptation of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas would be a little crazy.  We knew that the actors would be playing multiple characters.  But in a recent interview with Vulture, cast member Ben Whishaw reveals how crazy it’s going to get.  Whishaw tells Vulture, “Everyone in the cast is playing at least three parts, some big and some small… Everybody’s swapping race and gender, so it’s very ambitious and quite fun.”  For his parts, Whishaw is playing “Frobisher in the thirties; a female American in the seventies, in the Luisa Rey section; and a smallish role, where I’m basically an extra, in a modern-day nursing home, in the Timothy Cavendish section.”  For those unfamiliar with the book, it takes six nested stories across different locales and eras.  Folks who have read the novel say that it’s going to be a tough adaptation but that this approach may be the best way to do it.

However it turns out, I like the ambition although it’s tough to swap genders in a movie and not have it come off as comedic or to swap race and not have it come off as offensive.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel.  Cloud Atlas also stars Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Jim Broadbent, and Susan Sarandon.

Wachowskis and Tykwer to Shoot CLOUD ATLAS Next Month but with a Reduced Budget

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 22nd, 2011 at 7:21 am

The Wachowski Siblings and Tom Tykwer’s audacious adaptation of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas has been long in development but it will finally go before cameras in mid-to-late September.  Mitchell’s novel spans six different lifetimes across six different eras.  The film stars Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Susan Sarandon, Ben Whishaw, and Jim Broadbent.  If you’re wondering about the ambition of the project, Weaving said back in May that he was playing six different characters, which sounds like each actor won’t be playing just one character in one time period.

However, the project will also be working with less money.  Producer Stefan Ardnt tells THR that the budget for Cloud will be “definitely lower” than then rumored $100 – $120 million, which isn’t too surprising.  Speed Racer was a flop and Tykwer has never worked with $100+ budget.  However, the production has gotten significant tax breaks by shooting about 80% of the movie in Babelsberg, Berlin and the surrounding area.  The film is also getting made due to a unique financing arrangement from Berlin bank IFB and German regional film funding body, the Medienboard.  Hit the jump for more details on Cloud Atlas.

Cannes Casting Call: Zoe Saldana Joins THE WORDS; Susan Sarandon and Jim Broadbent in Talks for CLOUD ATLAS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 12th, 2011 at 8:23 am

Yesterday, we reported some casting news for The Words and The Wachowski Siblings/Tom Tykwer’s adaptation of Cloud Atlas.  Turns out those films weren’t quite finished in the casting department.  Producer Cassian Elwes has tweeted [via The Playlist] that Zoe Saldana will star alongside Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, and Dennis Quaid in The Words.  The drama centers on a celebrated writer (Cooper) who must pay the price for stealing the work of another author (Irons).  I imagine the price is somewhat higher than the lawyer’s fees for the litigation that would most likely occur in a less-interesting movie.

In other casting news, ScreenDaily reports that Susan Sarandon and Jim Broadbent are in talks to join Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving, Ben Whishaw, and Halle Berry in Cloud Atlas.  The movie is based on David Mitchell’s acclaimed novel that spans the progress of a soul across six separate existences across several centuries.  Shooting is planned to begin this September.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel.

Hugo Weaving and Ben Whishaw Join the Wachowskis’ CLOUD ATLAS, Halle Berry Confirmed to Star

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 11th, 2011 at 11:53 am

As production nears closer for the big-budget adaptation of Cloud Atlas, the cast is starting to come together. Last month, Tom Hanks was confirmed to star in the adaptation that will be directed by the Wachowski siblings and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run). Now, THR reports that Hugo Weaving and Ben Whishaw (I’m Not There) have joined the cast. The report also confirms earlier rumors that Halle Berry will indeed appear in the film.

No word on which roles the actors will take on at the moment, but production is set to begin this fall. Warner Bros. is releasing the film in North America and Focus Features International is currently looking for buyers at Cannes. The Wachowskis and Twyker are writing the film as well as directing. Hit the jump to read the synopsis for David Mitchell’s novel.

Director Julie Taymor Interview THE TEMPEST

by Christina Radish    Posted: December 9th, 2010 at 7:24 am

In Julie Taymor’s version of William Shakespeare’s final masterpiece The Tempest, the gender of the traditionally male sorcerer Prospero has been changed into the sorceress Prospera and is played by the illustrious Helen Mirren. The film follows the exiled Prospera on a journey from vengeance to forgiveness as she reigns over a magical island, cares for her daughter Miranda (Felicity Jones), and unleashes her powers against those who have wronged her. With the assistance of the sometimes unwilling Ariel (Ben Whishaw) and Caliban (Djimon Hounsou), Prospera puts her former tormentors – members of the royal court – through a series of adventures, while the king’s son Ferdinand (Reeve Carney) meets Miranda and falls in love at first sight.

During a press conference at the film’s press day, director Julie Taymor talked about the reasons behind her passion for bringing The Tempest to the big screen, developing the mother-daughter relationship for the film, her decision to cast Russell Brand to do Shakespeare and the importance of not playing up stereotypes. She also gave a brief update on the status of the Broadway production of Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark, currently in previews. Check out what she had to say after the jump:

5 Movie Clips from Julie Taymor’s THE TEMPEST; Plus 15 High Res Images

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: December 4th, 2010 at 10:09 am

With writer-director Julie Taymor’s The Tempest opening December 10 in New York and Los Angeles, we’ve been given 5 clips and 15 high resolution images from the film.  Adapted from William Shakespeare, Taymor has added a twist to the material by switching the gender of the sorcerer Prospero into the sorceress Prospera (who is played by Oscar winner Helen Mirren).  In addition, Taymor has brought along an all-star cast featuring Russell Brand, Alfred Molina, Djimon Hounsou, David Strathairn, Chris Cooper, Alan Cumming, Ben Whishaw, Reeve Carney, Felicity Jones, and Tom Conti.

Hit the jump to check out the clips and images.  Look for interviews with the cast next week.

New Images from Julie Taymor’s THE TEMPEST

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 10th, 2010 at 10:53 am

New images have been released for the upcoming adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest starring Helen Mirren and Russell Brand.  Written and directed by Julie Taymor, who also helmed 2007’s Across the Universe as well as the fantastic stage adaptation of The Lion King, the Shakesperean comedy features a fantastic cast that includes David Strathairn, Alfred Molina, Djimon Hounsou, Chris Cooper and Alan Cumming.  We recently brought you the visually impressive trailer for the film, which hits theaters on December 10^th. Hit the jump to check out the new images.

Trailer for Julie Taymor’s THE TEMPEST Starring Helen Mirren

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 5th, 2010 at 10:59 am

The trailer for Julie Taymor’s adaptation of William Shakepeare’s The Tempest has gone online.  While Taymor’s impressive visual style is on display, the tone of the film looks all over the place as it ranges from “Passion” to “Treachery” to “Stupidity”.  Despite a great cast that includes Helen Mirren, Alfred Molina, David Strathairn, Chris Cooper, Alan Cumming, Ben Whishaw, Russell Brand, and Djimon Hounsou, the film has received poor notices at festivals.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The Tempest opens December 10th.

Daniel Day-Lewis May Head OUT THE WINDOW to Play Charles Dickens

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: May 24th, 2010 at 11:54 am

It was recently announced that writer/director Armando Iannucci would follow up the uproarious Brit-comedy In the Loop with Out The Window, a recount of the secret love affair between renowned author Charles Dickens and actress Nelly Ternan.  It seems that it is merely the best of times, as the Victorian project is attracting some serious talent: The Observer reports Oscar-winner Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood) is now the frontrunner to portray Dickens in the biopic, with Ben Whishaw (Bright Star) also in the running.

Iannucci will also take on scripting duties with co-writers Roger Drew and Will Smith, who wrote for the BBC series The Thick of It on which In the Loop was based. Slated for release sometime in 2011,  Out the Window is based on Claire Tomalin’s biography, The Invisible Woman.

4 Movie Clips from Jane Campion’s BRIGHT STAR Starring Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: September 15th, 2009 at 6:20 pm

Opening this Friday, in limited release, is the new film from director Jane Campion “Bright Star”. The film premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and it’s a portrait of love and loss between the 19th-century Romantic poet John Keats and the 18-year-old muse-next-door, Fanny Brawne. They’re played by Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish. To help promote the film, we’ve been provided with 4 clips and they’re after the jump. Take a look.

New Images from BRIGHT STAR, CREATION, DEFENDOR, SOLITARY MAN

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: August 26th, 2009 at 11:43 am

As I wrote when I posted the new images from “Mr. Nobody” and “The White Ribbon”, the Toronto Film Festival starts in a few weeks and like every year, the Festival is loaded with plenty of world premieres. While I had planned on attending this year’s festival as a member of the working press, due to my deciding to attend too late, I missed the cut for getting a press badge. However, I’m still going, and hope to be able to report on the films and interview a lot of the people attending.

Anyway, with the festival gearing up to start, I’ve been provided with a lot of new images from the films  premiering. So after the jump take a look at images from Jane Campion’s “Bright Star”, “Creation”, “Defendor”, and “Solitary Man”.

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