Danny Boyle

Danny Boyle’s 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony to Be Inspired by Shakespeare’s THE TEMPEST

by Matt Currie    Posted: January 27th, 2012 at 2:53 pm

The 2012 Olympics are coming down the pike with English director Danny Boyle (28 Days Later) serving as creative director of the opening ceremonies in London. Because once you’ve shut the city down and maestro-ed a mob of rabid pseudo-zombies through its streets, a bunch of athletes waving flags or whatever is child’s play.

Speaking to the press today, Boyle unveiled that his plans for the commencement would be heavily inspired by The Tempest, an announcement that was met with considerable belligerence and numerous faintings amongst the assembled mob, until the Oscar-winner clarified that he did not mean the 2010 Julie Taymor film. Rather, the £27-million opener (dubbed “Isles of Wonder”) will channel the classic Shakespearean play, specifically the character Caliban’s opening speech. Hit the jump for more from Boyle on what to expect on the big day.

Keanu Reeves Documentary SIDE BY SIDE Tackles Film vs. Digital Debate; Includes Interviews with Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, and David Fincher

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 9th, 2012 at 11:10 am

A curious little website has popped up announcing a new documentary produced by Keanu Reeves that tackles one of the foremost issues facing filmmakers today: the advent of digital filmmaking. Entitled Side by Side, the documentary takes an in-depth look at the issue of film vs. digital, and “examines all aspects of filmmaking – from capture, to edit, to visual effects, to color correction, to distribution to archive.” Through interviews with numerous well-respected masters of the medium, Side by Side “explores what has been gained, what is lost and what the future might bring.” Take this sample quote from Christopher Nolan:

“No credible source really has been claiming to have invented something that is aesthetically superior to film at this point.”

The documentary will feature Reeves interviewing filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Lana and Andy Wachowski, George Lucas, James Cameron, Steven Soderbergh, and many more. Hit the jump for more details.

Vincent Cassel and Rosario Dawson Join James McAvoy in Danny Boyle’s TRANCE

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 27th, 2011 at 1:42 pm

Danny Boyle has found two more leads for his heist-thriller Trance.  Deadline reports that Rosario Dawson and Vincent Cassel will join James McAvoy in the film which centers on an art heist that goes sideways when its mastermind (McAvoy) gets amnesia and can’t remember where he stashed the loot.  Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson were previously rumored for the other lead roles, but now it looks like Cassel will play the leader of the heist team while Dawson will play the hypnotist tasked with recovering the mastermind’s memories.  The modestly-budgeted and harder-edged picture will be more in line with Boyle’s earlier films Trainspotting and Shallow Grave.

Filming on Trance is set to begin in September and then will be put on a shelf while Boyle directs the summer Olympics.  He’ll pick it back up again in August 2012 for editing and then release it in March 2013.  Both Dawson and Cassel will next be seen at the Toronto International Film Festival with Ten Year and A Dangerous Method, respectively.

Danny Boyle Eyeing Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson for TRANCE?

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 5th, 2011 at 9:59 am

Danny Boyle has settled on the heist thriller Trance as his next film, but it’s going to have an odd schedule.  He plans to shoot it in 2012, break to direct the Summer Olympics, and then edit it with an eye towards a March 2013 release.  Michael Fassbender was rumored for the lead role he shady leader of a heist team gang partners with an art gallery assistant who masterminds the crime but then gets amnesia and forgets the location of the stolen portrait.  Fassbender ultimately passed on the role, but James McAvoy started circling another role in the flick.

Twitch now reports that Boyle is courting Oscar-winner Colin Firth to replace Fassbender (not a step down by any means) and he’s also looking at Scarlett Johansson for a supporting role.  Presumably, the role for Johansson would be the hypnotist the gang hires to get into the assistant’s memory.  Twitch also reports that Zoe Saldana and Mélanie Thierry (Babylon A.D.) are also on his short-list for the part.  Hit the jump for a refresher on Firth and Johansson’s other projects.

James McAvoy to Replace Michael Fassbender in Danny Boyle’s TRANCE [UPDATED]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: June 23rd, 2011 at 1:52 pm

It looks like Professor X is taking over a job originally set for Magneto. Variety reports that James McAvoy is in early discussions to join Danny Boyle’s Trance in a role for which Michael Fassbender was previously in talks. The film is a remake of Joe Ahearne’s 2003 TV movie of the same name and centers on an art heist gone wrong. The mastermind of the heist suffers a blow to the head during the operation, and subsequently suffers from amnesia. When his team questions the validity of his claims, and given that he’s the only one who knows where the painting is hidden, a female hypnotist is hired to get into his brain.

Boyle plans to start production in September, and after filming wraps he will immediately move on to directing the opening ceremony for London’s 2012 Summer Olympics. After the Olympics conclude in August, he’ll return to Trance to begin post-production, with a March 2013 release date being eyed. So all-in-all, Boyle has a very busy year coming up. While Fassbender’s a fantastic actor and it would’ve been nice to see him team up with Boyle, McAvoy is no slouch himself, so the casting change doesn’t seem too drastic.

[Update: Variety has updated their story to say that the role McAvoy is taking on is NOT the role that Fassbender had been in talks for. So he's not taking over Fassbender's role, but Fassbender is still out of the project]

Michael Fassbender in Talks for Danny Boyle’s TRANCE

by Bill Graham    Posted: May 6th, 2011 at 9:51 pm

Michael Fassbender has had a hell of a year, and we aren’t even at the halfway point. He recently landed a role in Ridley Scott’s return to science fiction, Prometheus — now the actor is eyeing Danny Boyle’s next film, Trance. According to THR (who refers to the film as “Trances“), Fassbender is in talks to become the first cast member to join Boyle’s fast-tracked film. The film is a remake of Joe Ahearne’s 2003 art heist TV movie aptly named Trance. Hit the jump for a lengthy synopsis, the potential role of Fassbender, and why the film is being put in fast-forward.

Danny Boyle to Direct TRANCE before the 2012 Summer Olympics

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 4th, 2011 at 11:02 am

Danny Boyle will be directing the opening ceremony for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, but that doesn’t mean there’s no time to shoot another movie.  It’s just something that can be squeezed in, like a trip to the grocery store or picking up stamps.  Deadline reports that Boyle will shoot Trance, which is about “an art heist gone wrong” and has the same “dark, sexy, hard-edged tone” of Boyle’s early films Shallow Grave and Trainspotting.  Boyle plans to shoot the film this September in London, but once he’s finished, he’s going to put Trance on the shelf.  Then he’ll switch gears, turn his attention to the Olympics, and then in August 2012, he’ll pick the film up again with an eye towards releasing it in March 2013.

Producing partner Christian Colson (Slumdog Millionaire) is on board and the duo are in talks with Pathe and Fox Searchlights for funding and distribution.  The feature is budgeted in the mid-teens, which has worked out well for Boyle on his last two films.  Slumdog Millionaire cost $15 million and grossed $377 million worldwide while 127 Hours cost $18 million and raked in a modest but still profitable $57 million worldwide.

127 HOURS Expands to 600 Theaters on January 28 to Capitalize on Academy Awards Nominations

by Jeff Ames    Posted: January 20th, 2011 at 10:12 pm

Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours is one of 2010’s overlooked gems. I happened to catch a screening of it in Las Vegas back in December and I can honestly say it’s one of the director’s finest works. Of course it helps to have James Franco on board, delivering a heart wrenching, even gutsy performance as Aron Ralston, the daredevil hiker/mountain biker who became trapped in a gorge after an accident left his right hand pinned between a rock and a hard place. I should also mention the film contains one of the most graphically explicit hand-chopping sequences I’ve ever paid witness to (the bit makes Saw look like a children’s PBS special).  Despite my wild enthusiasm for the film, I’m sorry to say not many people have had a chance to see Boyle’s work. That’s because it’s currently showing on just 76 screens across the country.

Well, fret no longer movie fans! According to THR, 127 Hours is getting a pre-Oscar expansion in order to take advantage of Franco’s sure-to-be-nominated performance. Fox Searchlight is planning on expanding the film to more than 600 screens January 28, three days after the Oscar noms are announced, which should give you plenty of time to see this magnificent tour de force before the Academy Awards on February 27.  Franco himself will host along with Anne “Catwoman” Hathaway. Hit the jump for the trailer and the synopsis.

Danny Boyle Still Waiting on Right Moment to Make TRAINSPOTTING Sequel

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 5th, 2010 at 9:43 pm

Director Danny Boyle says that he will make a sequel to his acclaimed 1996 film Trainspotting…when the time is right.  Speaking to Cinematical, Boyle explained,

“It will happen, I think.  I mean, we’ll approach them all again about it, but it will depend on what place they’re all at. We have a very strong idea that it would be a wonderful thing to reapproach, to do again, when they have aged clearly into a mid-life kind of crisis, basically. They’re not quite there yet, I don’t think.”

The original film centered on a group of heroin addicts played by Ewan McGregor, Ewan Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, Kevin McKidd, and Kelly Macdonald.  Hit the jump for more on the potential sequel.

OLDBOY Remake Lives? Studio Reportedly Likes New Script; Considering Steven Spielberg, Matthew Vaughn, or Danny Boyle to Direct

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 8th, 2010 at 1:37 pm

In November 2009, we reported the joyous news that a Steven Spielberg/Will Smith remake of Chan-wook Park’s Oldboy was dead.  Of course, Hollywood being Hollywood, nothing is ever truly “dead”.  According to Pajiba, screenwriter Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend) has turned in a draft of the script that Mandate Pictures loves.  The studio is now looking to get Spielberg back on board.  However, that seems like a long shot since the director has already settled on Robopocalypse as his follow up to the drama War Horse.  Mandate is also considering Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn.  If Vaughn passes, they’ll take it to Danny Boyle.  It’s weird to think of Boyle as anyone’s third choice, but I think he would be the most interesting of the three to helm a remake (or rather, a “re-adaptation” since Oldboy is based on a manga).

Of course, this is just a studio wish list and while an Oldboy remake may not be dead, it’s still a long a ways off from making it to the big screen.  If you haven’t seen Oldboy, fix that part of your life.  I’ve included a synopsis for the film after the jump.

Danny Boyle Exclusive Interview 127 HOURS; Plus Updates on Shekhar Kapur’s PAANI, FRANKENSTEIN, the Olympics, and a Lot More

by Ron Messer    Posted: November 7th, 2010 at 1:53 pm

The biggest constant in Danny Boyle’s career is change.  The 54-year-old director left a successful run in British theater and television to tackle a striking range of genres on film: horror, romantic comedy, family drama, thriller, dark comedy, among others.  This weekend’s limited release of his real-life man vs. nature film, 127 Hours, marked the first time Boyle has let one actor fully drive a film.  The venture paid off with a lead performance from James Franco that is getting rave reviews and the lion’s share of early buzz for the upcoming awards season.

This will also be the Oscar winner’s last directorial effort on film for some time.  Boyle is the artistic director of the 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony and will smooth that transition from film to live events with a return to theater as the director of a new adaptation of Frankenstein at the Royal National Theatre in England.  He recently gave Collider a host of new details on the play, how 127 Hours was inspired by Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, revelations about his real-life subject Aron Ralston and why Slumdog Millionaire is far from his last production in India.  Hit the jump for the full audio and transcription.

Director Danny Boyle and James Franco Exclusive Video Interview 127 HOURS

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: November 4th, 2010 at 6:43 pm

Opening tomorrow is Academy Award winning director Danny Boyle’s new movie 127 Hours.  Since we’ve covered the film extensively, you know the title stands for the amount of time mountain climber Aron Ralston (played by James Franco) spent pinned under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah.  Since premiering in early September on the Festival circuit, the movie has been getting rave reviews and most think Franco will be nominated for an Oscar.

However, his performance isn’t the only thing everyone is talking about, because at a number of screenings (including one the other night in Hollywood), members of the audience are having physical reactions while watching the movie.  At some screenings, people are literally passing out.  So when I got to sit down with Boyle and Franco, I asked their thoughts on this very real issue.  We also talked about their initial meetings (they both told very funny stories) and how they used two cinematographers on the movie.  Hit the jump to watch the interview.  127 Hours is definitely worth checking out this weekend.

Composer A.R. Rahman Interview 127 HOURS

by Sheila Roberts    Posted: October 28th, 2010 at 8:41 am

For his new drama-thriller, 127 Hours, director Danny Boyle re-teams with innovative Indian film composer A.R. Rahman who won two Academy Awards for his work on Slumdog Millionaire. Rahman has created an awesome score to convey the 127-hour ordeal of American mountaineer Aron Ralston when his arm is pinned by a boulder deep inside a Utah canyon and he must resort to desperate measures in order to survive.

We sat down for a round table interview with Rahman to talk about his new film. He told us about his collaboration with Danny Boyle, why he chose a personal and intimate score with Western influences to help bring to life the director’s unique vision, and how much he enjoyed once again being part of the Oscar-winning team behind Slumdog Millionaire. Rahman also liked our suggestion that he consider working with Ryan Murphy on a Bollywood version of Glee.  Hit the jump to read what he had to say:

Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy Interview 127 HOURS

by Sheila Roberts    Posted: October 26th, 2010 at 1:09 pm

Academy Award winning director Danny Boyle’s new film, 127 Hours, is a gripping account of mountain climber Aron Ralston’s harrowing ordeal after he becomes pinned under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and must take desperate measures in order to survive. The film, co-written by Boyle and Simon Beaufoy, who won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Slumdog Millionaire, is inspired by Ralston’s memoir, “Between a Rock and a Hard Place,” and features a compelling, Oscar worthy performance by James Franco.

We sat down recently with Simon at a roundtable interview to talk about his collaboration with Danny Boyle. He told us how they set about finding the cinematic potential of a story involving one location and one actor and mined the anti-superhero aspects to reveal the spiritual journey Aron embarks on when he is pushed to the limits of human endurance. Simon also updated us on his upcoming film, Salmon Fishing in Yemen, directed by Lasse Halstrom from his screenplay.

James Franco on RISE OF THE APES and Danny Boyle on Directing the Opening of the 2012 Olympics in London

by Sheila Roberts    Posted: October 25th, 2010 at 5:32 pm

We caught up with actor James Franco and Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle today at a roundtable interview to talk about their new film, 127 Hours, about the true life story of mountain climber Aron Ralston who becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive. While we were at it, we asked them about their upcoming projects. James told us why he decided to do Rise of the Apes and what it was like to have an opportunity to work opposite Andy Serkis. Boyle also described how honored he felt to be asked to direct the opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympics.  Hit the jump for their comments and look for the full interview soon:

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