Brendan Gleeson

New SMURFS 2 Logo, SMURFS 3 in Development

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 10th, 2012 at 7:26 pm

 

After Sony’s The Smurfs grossed a grand total of $563 million at the global box office last year, they waited a grand total of 12 days before green lighting a sequel.  The studio has released an official logo (above) for the sequel, titled The Smurfs 2, but there was another surprising Smurf-related development today.  Apparently, Sony has enough confidence in their sequel writers Karey Kirkpatrick and Chris Poche, that they’re now giving the go-ahead on The Smurfs 3. Given that the production of The Smurfs 2 is already underway with much of the original cast returning (plus a few new faces), things must be coming along quite nicely.

Raja Gosnell, who helmed the first Smurfs film, returns as director for the sequel which also stars Sofia Vergara, Jonathan Winters, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Anton Yelchin and John Oliver. The Smurfs 2 is set for release on July 31st, 2013.  Hit the jump for news on The Smurfs 3.

Brendan Gleeson and Abbie Cornish to Star in Brad Siberling’s Thriller AN ORDINARY MAN

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 7th, 2012 at 12:05 pm

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard anything about director Brad Silberling’s (Moonlight Mile) low-budget thriller An Ordinary Man, but it was announced today that Radiant Films International will be handling international distribution, and Brendan Gleeson and Abbie Cornish (Limitless) are attached to star.  The contemporary suspense tale “centers on the unexpected relationship between a fictitious war criminal in hiding, and his only human contact—his maid.”  It sounds like an intimate character drama, and Gleeson tends to shine in small, dialogue driven scenes.

Cornish made waves with her performance in 2009’s Bright Star and recently wrapped In Bruges director Martin McDonagh’s Seven Psychopaths opposite Colin Farrell.  Silberling most recently directed the adaptation of Land of the Lost starring Will Ferrell.  Production on An Ordinary Man is set to begin this fall in Belgrade, Serbia.  Hit the jump to read the full press release.

Brendan Gleeson, J.B. Smoove, and Christina Ricci Set for SMURFS 2

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 26th, 2012 at 12:36 pm

In case you forgot, a sequel to last year’s The Smurfs is on its way (sigh).  Nearly the entire cast from the first pic—including Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Hank Azaria and Katy Perry—are returning, and now THR reports that Brendan Gleeson and J.B. Smoove will be joining the cast as newcomers.  In addition, THR noted a few days ago that Christina Ricci will also come onboard.  Ricci will be playing Vexy, an evil version of the lovely Smurfette (Perry), while Smoove will voice a new character named “Hackus” who is described as “naughty” (the Smurfs have always walked a fine line between children’s fare and inappropriate).  Gleeson, meanwhile, will play Harris’ stepfather, Victor Doyle.  Given that this is a kids’ film, I can only assume that the stepfather will be somewhat evil.

Raja Gosnell, who helmed the first Smurfs film, returns as director for the sequel which also stars Sofia Vergara, Jonathan Winters, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Anton Yelchin and John Oliver. The Smurfs 2 is set for release on July 31st, 2013.

4 Clips and Nearly 4 Minutes of Behind-the-Scenes Footage from THE RAVEN

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 16th, 2012 at 6:39 pm

We’ve been provided with four clips and almost four minutes of behind-the-scenes-footage from director James McTeigue’s (V for Vendetta) thriller The Raven to share with our readers.  The film stars John Cusack as Edgar Allen Poe, and follows the author as he teams up with a detective (Luke Evans) in order to catch a killer who is modeling his crimes after Poe’s stories.  It’s certainly an intriguing premise and Cusack isn’t one for phoning it in, so I’m hoping we’re in for a solid thriller with some nice surprises.

Hit the jump to check out the clips and behind-the-scenes footage.  The film also stars Alice Eve, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Brendan Gleeson. The Raven opens April 27th.

Almost 40 New Images from John Cusack’s THE RAVEN

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: March 20th, 2012 at 6:21 pm

The Raven has the unenviable task of drawing audience’s attention (and dollars) away from this year’s slate of big action movies. Luckily for the Gothic murder mystery inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, April looks to be one of the weaker months for this year’s box office. However, it will only have about one week to rake in the cash until a little movie called The Avengers comes out. Until then, we have a host of new images from The Raven featuring John Cusack, Alice Eve, Luke Evans, Bredan Gleeson and Oliver Jackson-Cohen in various shades of Gothic black. The James McTeigue thriller opens April 27th. Hit the jump to see the images.

New Images from THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: February 29th, 2012 at 7:02 pm

Sony Pictures’ The Pirates! Band of Misfits have launched a new interactive site with lots of visual goodies for fans of The Pirates! and Aardman Animation. If you’re not familiar with the name, you’ll probably still recognize their previous works, such as Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run and Flushed Away. Aardman has a unique and appealing animation style that Steve got to take and up-close-and-personal look at when he visited the set.

Directed by Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt (Chicken Run), The Pirates! Band of Misfits stars Hugh Grant, in his first animated role, as the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain who is trying to win the Pirate Of The Year Award with the help of his rag-tag crew (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen).  To win, Pirate Captain must contend with a diabolical queen (Imelda Staunton) and bitter rivals like Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek). The Pirates! Band of Misfits opens April 27th. Hit the jump to meet the pirates. 

SAFE HOUSE Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 10:25 am

There’s no problem with delivering a solid action thriller that doesn’t reinvent the genre, but Safe House goes through the motions without an ounce of creativity or flavor.  It’s the bare minimum of what an action movie should be and marches through gunfights and car chases because that’s what the genre requires, not what makes the film exciting.  Denzel Washington doesn’t add much by doing a tamer retread of his Training Day performance, and Ryan Reynolds is the film’s redeeming aspect as he tries to bring a little nuance and shading to his character.  But the main fault lays with director Daniel Espinosa, who knows how to make Safe House loud, but not much else.

New Trailer for THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 16th, 2011 at 1:19 pm

A new trailer for Aardman Animation’s The Pirates! Band of Misfits has gone online. This trailer maintains the delightfully goofy tone we’ve seen from past trailers, and delves a bit more into the plot. The story centers on a pirate captain named Pirate Captain (voiced by Hugh Grant) who’s on a quest to win the Pirate of the Year award. We also get a look at the character voiced by Jeremy Piven here. This trailer didn’t grab me as much as the last two, and it kind of feels like a more Americanized version targeted at audiences here in the States. Nevertheless, I’m still very excited to see the finished film, as Aardman’s next picture Arthur Christmas has been rounding up some very positive reactions.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. The film also features the voices of Salma Hayek, Brendan Gleeson, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton, and Martin Freeman. The Pirates! Band of Misfits opens in 3D on March 30th, 2012.

New Trailer and Images for SAFE HOUSE Starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 3rd, 2011 at 11:44 am

Universal has released the first trailer for the thriller Safe House starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds.  The story centers on a young CIA agent (Reynolds) who must team up with the dangerous criminal in order to survive when their safe house is destroyed by mercenaries.  The trailer goes heavy on the action, but it looks like director Daniel Espinosa (Snabba Cash) has done a great job.  But the biggest hook is the dynamic between Washington and Reynolds.  Few actors have as much fun playing the bad guy as Washington and he clearly relishes flipping between charm and malevolence on a dime.  My only complaint with the trailer is that it shows a little too much, but overall I like what I’m seeing.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer and the larger version of the poster and image released yesterday, plus two new images.  The film also stars Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepard, Vera Farmiga, Fares Fares, Robert Patrick, Nora Arnezeder, Liam Cunningham, Joel Kinnaman, and Ruben Blades.  Safe House opens February 10, 2012.

International Trailer for THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS

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

The international trailer for The Pirates! Band of Misfits has been released. This may be my favorite trailer for the film yet, as it delves more into plot and maintains that delightfully goofy tone that Aardman (the studio behind Wallace & Gromit) does so well. We also get some good stuff from the character Charles Darwin (yes, that Charles Darwin) and lots of kooky pirates. The story centers on a pirate captain named Pirate Captain (voiced by Hugh Grant) who’s determined to win the Pirate of the Year Award. This one is definitely high on my most anticipated list for 2012.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. The film also features the voices of Salma Hayek, Brendan Gleeson, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton, Martin Freeman, and Jeremy Piven. The Pirates! Band of Misfits opens in 3D on March 30th, 2012.

Anna Kendrick, Terrence Howard, Brendan Gleeson and Sam Elliott Join THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 10th, 2011 at 6:51 pm

Robert Redford is assembling quite the ensemble for his next directorial project The Company You Keep. Anna Kendrick, Terrence Howard, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Elliott and 11-year-old America’s Got Talent finalist Jackie Evancho have joined the cast of the drama. Based on the novel by Neal Gordon, the story centers on a former Weather Underground militant who goes on the run after an ambitious young journalist exposes his true identity. Redford will be pulling double duty, as he’ll also star as the Weather Underground militant in the film. Shia LaBeouf is onboard to take on the role of the journalist. Other cast members include Brit Marling, Nick Nolte, Susan Sarandon, Julie Christie, Richard Jenkins, Stephen Root, Stanley Tucci, and Chris Cooper.

Hit the jump for the details on who Kendrick, Howard, Gleeson, and Elliott will play.

First Trailer for THE RAVEN Starring John Cusack

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 7th, 2011 at 6:29 am

The first trailer for James McTeigue’s The Raven has gone online.  The story takes place in 1840s Baltimore where a series of grisly murders appear to have been inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack).  Poe and a detective (Luke Evans) must team up to find the killer before he takes out the woman Poe loves.  While I think the premise is intriguing and I’m always up for a crime thriller that pulls the setting out of the modern day, this trailer comes off like “Hey, remember From Hell?  Let’s try that again.”  Hopefully McTeigue’s film will play far better than the unfortunate adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel.

Hit the jump for the trailer.  The film also stars Alice Eve, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Brendan Gleeson.  The Raven opens March 9, 2012.

Brendan Gleeson Talks THE GUARD, SAFE HOUSE, AT SWIM-TWO-BIRDS and More

by Sheila Roberts    Posted: August 2nd, 2011 at 9:20 am

Brendan Gleeson turns in another memorable, must-see performance in The Guard as Sergeant Gerry Boyle, an eccentric small-town cop with a confrontational and crass personality who reluctantly partners with FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) to track down elusive drug traffickers. A longtime policeman in County Galway, Boyle’s a maverick with his own moral code, a jaundiced outlook and a subversive sense of humor. He’s indifferent to what others think of him and he enjoys keeping them guessing as to his intelligence.

We sat down with Gleeson at a roundtable interview to talk about his new comedy crime film, a darkly funny fish-out-of-water tale of murder, blackmail, drug trafficking and rural police corruption written and directed by John Michael McDonagh. Gleeson also discussed his upcoming projects including the recently completed CIA thriller Safe House starring Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington and At Swim-Two-Birds, a project he’s adapted from Flann O’Brien’s acclaimed 1938 novel and hopes to direct next Spring.  Hit the jump for more.

Brendan Gleeson Video Interview THE GUARD

by Tommy Cook    Posted: July 28th, 2011 at 3:16 pm

Hamish. Liam Tobin. “Mad Eye” Moody. “Ken”. Menelaus. Walter ‘Monk’ McGinn. Martin Cahill. All roles under the repertory of the inestimable character actor Brendan Gleeson. Gleeson, with his sunken eyes and brogue dialect, able to interject even the smallest of roles with undeniable pathos and weight. With his new film The Guard set for limited release tomorrow, Gleeson steps up to the limelight as the titular guard Sgt. Gerry Boyle. Boyle, as protector of the small Irish County Galway, must fend off rampant police corruption, murderous thugs and a secret drug trade. Of course – he would rather just have a good old-fashioned pint instead.

In lesser hands, Sgt. Boyle could easily have become an outlandish caricature of sorts – a buffoon with a gun, not so far removed from Paul Blart. But Gleeson is able  to imbue the boorishness of the character with an unexpected undercurrent of loneliness and more surprisingly, hidden competence. Sgt. Boyle mat not be as ill suited to saving the day as appearances would suggest and Gleeson with nary a word, just a look, perfectly conveys the adroitness behind each calculated stumble. In the following interview with Brendan Gleeson, he speaks about his portrayal of Sgt. Boyle, how he balanced the comedy with the drama of the script and what it was like working with both McDonagh brothers (John Michael on The Guard and Martin on In Bruges/Six Shooter). For the full interview, hit the jump.

THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS Trailer

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 14th, 2011 at 9:20 am

I want to see a good pirate movie this year and I certainly didn’t get one with Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.  But there may be hope in Aardman Animation’s The Pirates! Band of Misfits.  For those who don’t know, Aardman are the folks behind Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run and judging by the trailer for The Pirates! they’ve done another terrific job.  Not only do they once again provide their charming claymation, but there were numerous jokes in the trailer that had me cracking up.  The film will be getting a presentation at Comic-Con and I’m excited to see more.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film features the voices of Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Brendan Gleeson, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton, Martin Freeman, and Jeremy Piven.  The Pirates! Band of Misfits opens in 3D on March 30, 2012.

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