Bill Nighy

Director John Madden Talks THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, Capturing the Essence of India and Directing the Pilot for Showtime’s MASTERS OF SEX

by Christina Radish    Posted: May 2nd, 2012 at 7:18 pm

The dramedy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, from acclaimed and accomplished director John Madden, follows seven retirees from the U.K. in need of a transformation, who find themselves spending their golden years at a rundown hotel that does not quite live up to the lush amenities pictured in the brochure.  The hotel’s naive young owner, Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel), inherited the once sophisticated building from his father, hoping to turn it into a high-end luxury hotel.  Instead, the water and electricity are iffy at best, and India’s overwhelming contrasts are both intoxicating and frightening for these seven newcomers, who are unsure about what the future might hold.  The film stars Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Ronald Pickup and Celia Imrie.

During this recent exclusive interview with Collider, director John Madden talked about why this premise was so attractive to him, determining what aspects of India to capture, the fact that he didn’t anticipate quite how much this entire experience would change everyone involved with making the film, and assembling such an incredibly talented cast.  He also talked about what attracted him to directing the pilot for the Showtime drama series Masters of Sex, about Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan), the pioneers of the science of human sexuality whose research touched off the sexual revolution.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

First Trailer for TOTAL RECALL Starring Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, and Jessica Biel

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: April 1st, 2012 at 2:13 pm

As promised, the first trailer for the Total Recall remake premiered this afternoon during the Celtics-Heat game and promptly found its way online.  The clip gets across the basic premise.  Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) turns to benevolent company Rekall to turn his dreams of being a super spy into real memories: “But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man.”  The real emphasis is on the action, and until seeing this trailer, I didn’t understand just how big a blockbuster Total Recall wants to be.  As a devoted fan of trippy sci-fi, here’s hoping director Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard) pulled it off.

Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, Bill Nighy, and a platinum blonde John Cho also star.  Total Recall opens on August 3.  Watch the trailer after the jump.

WRATH OF THE TITANS Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 29th, 2012 at 2:45 pm

2010′s Clash of the Titans was an absolute mess.  The story made no sense, the movie wasted its cast, and the film was clearly cut to hell with perhaps a more interesting tale left on the editing room floor.  The problems were compounded by thoughtless action scenes and atrocious 3D.  Wrath of the Titans solves the confusing-story problem by making the plot stolid and obstinate.  The action scenes are just as big but even more pointless, and the 3D looks fine but adds nothing to the experience.  There are some brief, glorious moments where strong performances peak through, and we get a glimpse at some imaginative designs.  These few moments help the sequel barely clear the low bar set by its predecessor.

5 Clips from WRATH OF THE TITANS Starring Sam Worthington and Liam Neeson

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: March 23rd, 2012 at 8:50 am

We’ve been provided with five clips from the upcoming sequel Wrath of the Titans to share with you today. Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles) takes over the director’s chair this time around and takes a more practical approach to the effects than Clash of the Titans.  The film finds Perseus (Sam Worthington) tasked with stopping the titans and saving Zeus (Liam Neeson) from Hades’ stranglehold (Ralph Fiennes).  Though Clash wasn’t exactly warmly received, Worthington has stated that he feels they did things right this time around. After seeing the film the other night, I agree.  Wrath of the Titans is what I hoped Clash of the Titans would be.  Trust me, the sequel is a vast improvement and a really good fantasy movie.

Hit the jump to watch the clips and look for exclusive video interviews with the cast and director Jonathan Liebesman next week .  The film also stars Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, Edgar Ramirez, Toby Kebbell and Danny Huston.  Wrath of the Titans opens in 3D on March 30th.

Nearly 40 Hi-Res Images from WRATH OF THE TITANS

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: March 13th, 2012 at 6:15 pm

We’ve previously brought you four exclusive images and 19 new images from Clash of the Titans sequel, Wrath of the Titans, along with posters, trailers and interviews.  Now we’ve got nearly 40 hi-res images from the swords-and-sandals sequel that features all of your favorite gods and mortals. Wrath of the Titans stars Sam Worthington, Edgar Ramirez, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Bill Nighy, Rosamund Pike, Toby Kebbell and Danny Huston. The sequel opens in 3D on March 30th. Hit the jump to check out the images.

Exclusive: 4 New Images from WRATH OF THE TITANS

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: March 13th, 2012 at 12:52 pm

We’ve got four new images from Wrath of the Titans to premiere here on Collider today. The film is the follow-up to 2010’s Clash of the Titans and finds Perseus (Sam Worthington) being called on by the gods to help defeat the titans. Oh, and Hades has kidnapped Zeus too, so Perseus has to deal with that as well. There was a lot of troublemaking in ancient times is what I’m saying. Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles) takes over the director’s chair this time around, and Rosamund Pike joins the cast as the female lead, Andromeda.

Hit the jump to check out the images. Edgar Ramirez, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Bill Nighy and Danny Huston also star. Wrath of the Titans opens in 3D on March 30th.

New Trailer for WRATH OF THE TITANS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 23rd, 2012 at 10:10 am

A new trailer has gone online for Wrath of the Titans.  There’s not much in the way of new footage, but the marketing continues to push the big monsters over the puny humans.  The sequel takes place ten years after the original, and Perseus (Sam Worthington) is called in to assist the gods in taking down the titans.  I’m not sure if plots have become more coherent or 3D post-conversion has advanced in a decade, but one thing is for sure: wood is impenetrable.  You can use planks of wood as a shield against a fireball.  Spare me your mythical weapons.  I want wooden debris.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film also stars Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Danny Huston, Edgar Ramirez, Bill Nighy, Toby Kebbell, and Rosamund Pike.  Wrath of the Titans opens March 30th.

New Posters for WRATH OF THE TITANS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 7th, 2012 at 11:43 am

Warner Bros. has released two posters and three banners for Wrath of the Titans.  There’s no kraken this time around so none of the characters are going to say, “Let’s get kraken.”  I know the plot involves the titans getting unleashed and Zeus (Liam Neeson) asking Perseus (Sam Worthington) for some help, but I don’t get the point without kraken puns.  Kraken puns make the world go round.

Hit the jump to check out the posters.  The film also stars Ralph Fiennes, Danny Huston, Edgar Ramirez, Bill Nighy, Toby Kebbell, and Rosamund Pike.  Wrath of the Titans opens in 3D on March 30th.

2012 Annie Award Winners Announced; RANGO Named Best Animated Feature

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 5th, 2012 at 10:44 am

The 2012 Annie Awards were held last night, and critical favorite Rango ended up deservedly taking home the Best Animated Feature award. Gore Verbinski’s quirky western also took home the award for Best Writing in a Feature Production, Best Editing, and the Members Favorite Award, but lost Best Directing to Kung Fu Panda 2’s Jennifer Yuh Nelson. Bill Nighy won Best Voice Acting for Arthur Christmas, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes took home the Character Animation in a Live Action Feature Production award.

On the television side of things, The Simpsons was awarded the top prize as well as Best Directing and Best Writing. Heading into the Academy Awards, Rango is our clear frontrunner. The Adventures of Tintin was pegged as the film’s biggest competition at the Oscar ceremony, but the Steven Spielberg film was ultimately left out of the nominations. Hit the jump to see the full list of Annie Awards Winners.

First Trailer and Poster for WRATH OF THE TITANS [Updated With New Posters]

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 19th, 2011 at 11:04 am

The first trailer for Wrath of the Titans has gone online.  I was disappointed by Clash of the Titans, but the trailer has somewhat restored my interest in the sequel.  Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles) has taken the reigns from Louis Leterrier and obviously the action scenes are bigger because that’s what sequels do.  But I was taken with the imaginative design for the sets and the creatures.  Presumably the 3D will be much better this time around since it’s not a post-converstion.  But the larger question remains: Is the script any better?  Here’s hoping. [Correction: It is a post-conversion. I was under the impression the filmmakers didn't want to do something so blatantly stupid.]

Hit the jump to check out the trailer and poster.  The film stars Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Danny Huston, Edgar Ramiez, Bill Nighy, Toby Kebbell, and Rosamund Pike.  Wrath of the Titans opens March 30, 2012. [Update: A couple of crazy banners a new image have been released, which are now included after the jump.]

First Trailer and Poster for Bryan Singer’s JACK THE GIANT KILLER

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 15th, 2011 at 4:24 pm

The first trailer for director Bryan Singer’s Jack the Giant Killer has gone online. Based on the classic tale, the fantasy pic tells the story of an ancient war that’s reignited when a young boy (Nicholas Hoult) unknowingly opens a gate between the world of the humans and the world of the giants. We don’t see much here, as it plays out very much like a teaser trailer, but I like the feel of it and it sure is nice to see Singer back doing big action set pieces. Ewan McGregor is the epitome of cool, and Hoult seems a fine choice to play the reluctant hero. Overall, I like the tone and the look of everything, but there’s not enough here to gauge whether or not Singer’s got himself a winner. I’m really looking forward to seeing those giants though.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. The film also stars Eleanor Thomas, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, and Bill Nighy. Jack the Giant Killer opens in 3D IMAX on June 15th, 2012.

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 22nd, 2011 at 2:36 pm

I’ve always been slightly perplexed when people ask “How does Santa deliver all his presents in a single night?”  It’s as if the possibility of a fat and jolly gentleman who lives in a hostile climate and has consumer goods made by an army of elves is completely plausible, but there’s no getting around the physics of the delivery.  And if that’s the hang-up, then why not simply answer back, “Magic,”?  Aardman Animation’s Arthur Christmas has fun indulging the question of “How?” but knows that it can be funny and heartwarming if you let Christmas night be magical.

Bill Nighy Talks ARTHUR CHRISTMAS, JACK THE GIANT KILLER, WRATH OF THE TITANS, TOTAL RECALL, SHAUN OF THE DEAD, More

by Christina Radish    Posted: November 21st, 2011 at 5:27 pm

In the animated family comedy Arthur Christmas, actor Bill Nighy voices the rather naughty Grandsanta. Upon his retirement, his lovely old sleigh and all of the reindeer who guided it were put out to pasture, in favor of an ultra-high-tech operation that allows for 18.14 seconds to get into each house, deliver the presents, and move on to the next, for the hundreds of millions of children in the world. So, when Santa’s (Jim Broadbent) youngest son, Arthur (James McAvoy), discovers that one child has been missed, he sets out on a mission, with the help of Grandsanta and a giftwrapping-obsessed elf (Ashley Jensen), to get that last present delivered before Christmas morning dawns.

During this exclusive phone interview with Collider, the fantastically lovely Bill Nighy talked about at first thinking he was being asked to play Santa and then realizing what a great character Grandsanta was, navigating voice roles by what he doesn’t want the character to sound like to make sure it’s unique, and how he’s so low-tech that he doesn’t own a computer and only recently was talked into getting an iPhone. He also talked about playing a 22-foot tall giant who eats people in Jack the Giant Killer, playing Hephaestus (the armorer to the Gods) in Wrath of the Titans, his trust in Len Wiseman as a storyteller for the remake of Total Recall (he plays Kuato in the film), his fear of harming Dame Judy Dench while driving her around on a motorcycle for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, making two more films with the Johnny Worricker character from David Hare’s Page Eight, finally getting the call to be a part of the Harry Potter franchise, and getting stopped all the time by fans who love his work in both Shaun of the Dead and Love, Actually. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

Bill Nighy in Talks to Play the Villain in I, FRANKENSTEIN Starring Aaron Eckhart

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 15th, 2011 at 2:33 pm

Bill Nighy is in negotiations to play the villain in Stuart Beattie‘s adaptation of Kevin Grevioux‘s graphic novel I, Frankenstein.  As we previously reported, Aaron Eckhart is set to play Adam Frankenstein in the modern-day update of Mary Shelley’s classic tale, which has Adam “being hunted by demons that want to learn the secret of his creation in order to build an army of reanimated corpse demons.”  That’s what was missing from Shelley’s Frankenstein: Corpse demons. Nighy is in talks to play a demon prince.  Variety also reports that Socratis Otto is in talks to play Nighy’s compatriot, “who is tasked with tracking down and capturing Adam.”  For those unfamiliar with Otto, he’s spent the last two years on Home and Away, a long-running Australian soap opera which also gave us Heath Ledger, Isla Fisher, Guy Pearce, Chris Hemsworth, and other Aussie actors.

Hit the jump for a recap on Nighy and Otto’s other projects.  Production on I, Frankenstein is set to begin in January, and the film is slated to open on February 22, 2013.

Bill Nighy Talks JACK THE GIANT KILLER, WRATH OF THE TITANS and TOTAL RECALL

by Christina Radish    Posted: November 14th, 2011 at 7:50 pm

The 3D, CG-animated family comedy Arthur Christmas finally answers the curious question of how Santa Claus delivers presents to every child around the world, in just one night. Earlier today, Collider had the opportunity to speak with ultra-talented British actor Bill Nighy, who voices the naughty Grandsanta, a crotchety 136-year-old that has been put out to pasture, along with his old-fashioned, classic Christmas traditions. While we will run that portion of the interview closer to the film’s November 23^rd release date, we wanted to share what he had to say about some of the highly anticipated projects he has for 2012.

During this exclusive phone interview with Collider, Bill Nighy talked about playing a 22-foot tall giant who eats people in Jack the Giant Killer, how much he enjoyed working with director Bryan Singer, and how difficult it is to keep a straight face while looking ridiculous in a motion capture suit. He also talked about playing Hephaestus, the armorer to the Gods, in Clash of the Titans 2, and his trust in Len Wiseman as a storyteller, for the remake of Total Recall, in which he plays Kuato. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

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