Brad Pitt

New Clip from KILLING THEM SOFTLY Starring Brad Pitt

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 25th, 2012 at 1:36 pm

A new clip from director Andrew Dominik’s (The Assassination of Jesse James) crime drama Killing Them Softly has been released.  The film stars Brad Pitt as a mob enforcer who’s tasked with investigating the robbery of a high-stakes poker game.  The pic premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this week to a widlly enthusiastic response, and apparently Dominik has crafted the crime drama as a not-so-subtle critique of capitalism.  We got a look at the excellent minimalist teaser poster a few days ago, and this clip features a funny scene between Pitt’s character and Richard Jenkins in which the title of the film becomes crystal clear.  If you missed the Ray Liotta-enhanced first clip from the film, click here.

Hit the jump to watch the clip.  The film also stars James Gandolfini, Richard Jenkins, Richard Jenkins, Ben Mendelsohn, Scoot McNairy, Bella Heathcote, and Sam Shepard.  Killing Them Softly opens on September 21st.

Abigail Breslin to Topline FINAL GIRL, Paul Dano Joins TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 4:55 pm

We’ve got some Little Miss Sunshine alumni casting news today: one’s an Oscar-nominated topliner and the other is a BAFTA-nominated addition to an already phenomenal cast.  Check out the headlines below:

• Abigail Breslin is set to star in the title role of Final Girl, a thriller from debut director Tyler Shields.
• Paul Dano will join the cast of Steve McQueen’s Twelve Years a Slave, a picture that already boasts Michael Fassbender, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Adepero Oduye and Brad Pitt.

Hit the jump for more on each picture.

Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem Officially in Talks for Ridley Scott’s THE COUNSELOR; Angelina Jolie Still Circling

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 12th, 2012 at 12:56 pm

The Avengers may be the all-star superhero movie of the year, but Ridley Scott is putting together an all-star lineup of his own for The Counselor.  No Country for Old Men author Cormac McCarthy wrote the script—his first—which quickly sparked a feeding frenzy over who would direct and star in the film.  Michael Fassbender is onboard as a respected lawyer who thinks he can dip his toe in the drug business without getting sucked down, and we previously reported that Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman, Bradley Cooper, and Jeremy Renner were circling roles in the pic.  Now it appears that Pitt and Bardem are extremely close to joining the cast, with Angelina Jolie not far behind.  Hit the jump for more.

Brad Pitt May Be Circling a Minor Role in Ridley Scott’s THE COUNSELOR

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 15th, 2012 at 12:20 pm

Last month, we reported that Brad Pitt was in the running to play the villain in Ridley Scott‘s The Counselor starring Michael Fassbender.  Fassbender plays “a respected lawyer who thinks he can dip his toe in the drug business without getting sucked down.”  The Counselor is being described as “No Country for Old Men on steroids,” which could be damn fine considering that No Country for Old Men author Cormac McCarthy wrote the screenplay.

According to Twitch, Jeremy Renner and Javier Bardem are now the front runners to play the heavy, and Pitt is circling the smaller role of “Westray – a business associate of the Counselor”.  Pitt rarely talks supporting roles unless he’s sharing equal time in an ensemble film Babel or Burn After Reading.  It’s possible that The Counselor could beef up his role, but Pitt’s not hurting on finding movies that would have him as the lead.  If he takes a smaller role, it may be because it’s a better fit for his schedule.  Pitt is currently set to co-star in Steve McQueen‘s Twelve Years a Slave; he’ll be seen in theaters later this year in the crime drama Killing Them Softly (previously titled Cogan’s Trade) and next summer in the blockbuster adaptation of Max Brooks‘ zombie novel World War Z.

Release Dates for TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, WORLD WAR Z and ONE SHOT

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: March 13th, 2012 at 7:39 pm

Some big movies with some big stars have had their release dates shuffled around. Here they are at a glance:

• Tom Cruise’s One Shot has moved up from February 8th, 2013 to December 21st, 2012.
• Brad Pitt’s World War Z has been pushed back until June 21st, 2013.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will open on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2013.

Hit the jump for more on each of these movies.

Jonah Hill and James Franco to Co-Star in Drama TRUE STORY

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 27th, 2012 at 10:09 am

Jonah Hill turned in a solid performance in Moneyball, and now he’s got another drama on the way, but he’ll be in the lead this time around.  Hill is set to star opposite James Franco in the adaptation of Michael Finkel‘s memoir True Story.  Directed by Rupert Goold (who wrote and directed the upcoming TV movie adaptation of Richard II starring Patrick Stewart), the story recounts the head-spinning relationship between disgraced New York Times journalist Michael Finkel (Hill) and accused murdered Christian Longo (Franco).

Hit the jump for more.

Michael Fassbender Confirmed to Star in Ridley Scott’s THE COUNSELOR [Update: Jeremy Renner and Brad Pitt Mentioned as Possibilities for Villain]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 21st, 2012 at 12:35 pm

Though the sci-fi film hasn’t even come out yet, Michael Fassbender is already set to reteam with his Prometheus director Ridley Scott on Scott’s next project. When famed author Cormac McCarthy (No Country for Old Men) surprisingly turned in his first spec screenplay a few months ago, Scott quickly attached himself to the project. We heard at the time that Fassbender was talking to Scott about possibly starring, and now Deadline confirms that the actor will star in The Counselor. While plot details are thin, the pic is described as “No Country for Old Men on steroids” and concerns a respected lawyer who thinks he can dip his toe in the drug business without getting sucked down.

Production is set to begin on May 1st, but Fassbender is also poised to reteam with Shame director Steve McQueen on the period pic Twelve Years a Slave so it’s unclear if he’ll do Slave before or after The Counselor. The actor recently committed to developing and starring in a film based on Celtic warrior Cuchulainn. A number of high-profile actors are apparently talking with Scott about joining The Counselor, and the director’s chair was a highly sought-after gig. While I’m super excited about Prometheus, I’m interested to see Scott take on a straight drama following a number of large-scale pics. [Update: Deadline has updated their story to add that Scott is now looking to cast the villain role, with actors like Jeremy Renner, Brad Pitt, and Bradley Cooper mentioned as possible candidates. This is shaping up to be one hell of a movie]

5 New Images from COGAN’S TRADE Starring Brad Pitt

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 14th, 2012 at 9:02 am

Five new images from Cogan’s Trade have gone online.  Based on the novel by George V. Higgins and written and directed by Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), the film stars Brad Pitt as Jackie Cogan, a mob enforcer who must investigate the robbery of a high-stakes poker game.  The film also stars Ray Liotta, James Gandolfini (both looking like they’ve slipped back into mob-mode), Richard Jenkins, Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom), Scott McNairy (Monsters), Bella Heathcote (In Time), and Sam Shepard.  With Dominik at the helm and this spectacular cast, Cogan’s Trade is one of my must-see movies of the year.  Although no release date has been announced, I’d be surprised if The Weinstein Company didn’t set the film loose on the festival circuit this fall.  Hit the jump to check out the images.

2012 Oscar Nominations Announced; HUGO and THE ARTIST Lead the Pack

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 24th, 2012 at 6:05 am

The nominations for the 84th Annual Academy Awards have finally been unveiled. Many of the categories have fallen in line just as most have predicted (I fared alright with my predictions, but not great), with Hugo scoring 11 nods, followed closely by The Artist with 10. The biggest surprises are War Horse and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close getting in for Best Picture, the exclusion of The Adventures of Tintin from Best Animated Feature, and The Tree of Life nabbing Best Picture and Best Director nods (hooray!). On the snub side of things, despite landing the most precursor critics awards of any other actor in the race thus far, Albert Brooks was denied a Best Supporting Actor nod for his stellar work in Drive (boo). Additionally, Tilda Swinton was overlooked for giving the best performance of the year in We Need to Talk About Kevin, and AMPAS has no love for Michael Fassbender‘s haunting work in Shame.

There’s still plenty to be happy about, as Gary Oldman has his first ever Oscar Nomination (yes, that’s right) and Melissa McCarthy is a Best Supporting Actress nominee. Hit the jump to check out the full list of nominees. The 84th Academy Awards will be presented by Billy Crystal on February 26th.

Oscars 2012: Adam Predicts the Nominees

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 21st, 2012 at 2:38 pm

As I’ve been covering awards season pretty extensively here on the site over the past few months, I figured it would be appropriate to (foolishly) try to predict the upcoming Oscar nominations. It’s been a fairly tame year, as a few frontrunners were singled out early in the race and have held their ground throughout the grueling awards season. We haven’t been without a few surprises, as Steven Spielberg’s War Horse took a massive tumble following snubs from most of the major guilds, and David Fincher has surged back into the race bringing his adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with him.

Though there are plenty of safe bets when it comes to the 2012 Oscar nominations, there are still a few wildcards and tricky categories. I’ve put on my prognosticating cap (those interested can purchase one of these nifty hats at your local Target) and compiled a list of who and what I think will make the cut. Hit the jump to see how I think the nods will stack up when they’re announced on January 24th.

MONEYBALL Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: January 16th, 2012 at 5:30 am

What if you made a scrappy underdog sports film that wasn’t funny? In some ways that’s what Moneyball is, it’s the story of Oakland A’s GM Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and how he works with Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) to build a team to win using statistics over star players. Bennett Miller’s film is engaging enough even for those who don’t follow the game (and those that do may dismiss what they accomplished – as many have) but as a narrative it’s the rare serious attempt to tell an underdog sports story without focusing on jokes or the players. Our review of Moneyball on Blu-ray follows after the jump.

WORLD WAR Z Has Trilogy Potential for Paramount

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: January 3rd, 2012 at 5:30 pm

Assuming the world is still around on December 21^st of this year, you may find me in the theater watching World War Z, the Paramount Pictures thriller starring Brad Pitt as a United Nations employee racing to stop a zombie pandemic. Loosely based on the novel by Max Brooks, World War Z was initially thought to be a one-shot adaptation, but it looks as if Paramount has other ideas. In an L.A. Times article about Pitt’s career, the actor discussed his work on the most expensive zombie movie in Hollywood. Director Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) and the studio both view World War Z as a potential franchise for Pitt, eyeing a trilogy that blends the realism of the Jason Bourne franchise with the undead terror of The Walking Dead. Hit the jump for more.

TOP 5: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, Movie Stars Portray Famous Movie Villains, TRANSFORMERS 4, QUANTUM OF SOLACE Script Problems, Kathleen Kennedy Talks JURASSIC PARK 4, TINTIN, More

by Jason Barr    Posted: December 10th, 2011 at 12:40 pm

I think there’s something to be said for coming to your own conclusions. Case in point: I may currently be at odds with 77% of the Rotten Tomatoes critic community when I say this, but I found The Sitter to be worthy of my box office dollars. Was it the best comedy I’ve ever seen? Not even close. Was it the best comedy I’ve seen in the past six months? Nope. That said, I had been looking forward to the pic over the course of covering it for this site. When the critical negativity began pouring in, I could have easily passed on the film as a result (something I’ve been guilty of in the past). Instead, I decided to check it out and I laughed (quite a bit, actually). So, what’s the moral of my story? If you want to see a movie, go see it. Don’t let poor reviews detour you from something you think you may enjoy. Use reviews as a foundation for healthy debate rather than as an excuse to not give something a chance because someone else didn’t like it.

All ranting aside, in this week’s “Top 5″ installment, you’ll be able to read all about The Dark Knight Rises and its IMAX prologue, viral campaign, and potential IMAX footage runtime. You can also see George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Rooney Mara and more portraying classic movie “villains” of their choice, get up to date on Michael Bay potentially returning to direct Transformers 4, Daniel Craig discussing the script problems that plagued Quantum of Solace, and producer Kathleen Kennedy talking Jurassic Park 4, Tintin, Lincoln, and Robopocalypse. Check out a brief recap and link to each after the jump.

New York Film Critics Name THE ARTIST Best Picture; Brad Pitt and Meryl Streep Win Top Acting Prizes

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 29th, 2011 at 10:26 am

Awards season is officially in full-swing, with this morning’s announcements of the Gotham Awards winners and the full list of nominees for the upcoming Independent Spirit Awards. Now it’s the critics’ turn, as the New York Critics Circle have unveiled their list for the best in film of 2011. The Artist took home the top two prizes (Best Picture and Director), solidifying its status as an Oscar frontrunner. Brad Pitt was named Best Actor for his work in Moneyball and The Tree of Life, with the former also taking the Best Screenplay prize for Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian. As for Best Actress, the undeniably talented Meryl Streep took the honor for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.

In the supporting categories, Albert Brooks was recognized for his dastardly role in Drive, while the prolific Jessica Chastain was named Best Supporting Actress for her work in The Tree of Life, The Help, and Take Shelter. While The Artist was already running into the Oscars with a good deal of steam, Moneyball‘s two wins give the film a much needed boost heading into the thick of awards season. Hit the jump to see the full list of winners.

2012 Oscar Preview: Best Actor and Best Actress

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 25th, 2011 at 7:19 am

Yesterday we unveiled our picks for the top contenders in the Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress categories for the upcoming 84th Academy Awards. Today, we’re taking on Best Actor and Best Actress. Though it’s still relatively early in the race, we’ve got some surefire contenders and a couple of clear frontrunners for the top acting categories. In addition to Academy darlings like George Clooney and Meryl Streep, we’ve seen some extraordinary performances from relative newcomers likes Elizabeth Olsen and Michael Fassbender. As I stressed yesterday, it’s still pretty early so things can definitely change between now and February, but there are certainly some clear frontrunners in these two races already. Hit the jump to see find out how everyone stacks up.

Copyright ©2005 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. California web design