Hugh Jackman

REAL STEEL Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: January 30th, 2012 at 6:00 am

There’s nothing inherently wrong with a formula picture, the problem is with filmmakers not investing in the formula. There’s just too many big budget movies these days – like the Pirates or Transformers films – where the characters and what they do don’t make sense, and it’s near impossible to care about anything that happens to them. So it’s strange that director Shawn Levy managed to make a formula picture right. Best known for the sub-par Night at the Museum films, Levy came across as a hack. But Real Steel knows exactly what it’s doing and works you over. Hugh Jackman stars as a washed up boxer trying to make his living fighting with robots. Enter his abandoned son (Dakota Goyo) and a special robot that might be able to take them to the top. Our review of Real Steel on Blu-ray follows after the jump.

Hugh Jackman to Return to Broadway in 2013/2014 for Original Musical HOUDINI Written by Aaron Sorkin

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 4th, 2012 at 9:05 am

We usually don’t cover Broadway news, but when you have Tony-winner Hugh Jackman and Oscar-and-Emmy-winner Aaron Sorkin teaming up for an original musical, it’s worth attention.  Back in November 2010, we reported that Jackman was attached to the musical biopic Houdini and Sorkin was writing the book (the plot and dialogue of a musical).  The production has now sent out a press release announcing that the show will premiere in 2013/2014.  Jackman recently finished his two month run on Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway, which played to sold-out audiences.  He’s also about to begin filming on the movie musical adaptation of Les Miserables.

Hit the jump for more on the production and Sorkin’s approach to Harry Houdini‘s story.

New Posters for CHRONICLE, COSMOPOLIS and RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: December 18th, 2011 at 7:10 pm

With less than two weeks left in 2011, it’s time to set our sights on movies that will be opening in 2012. Since the coming year is releasing a ton of big budget movies that will dominate media coverage, we thought we’d take a moment to highlight some of the lesser known fare that will be gracing the screens over the  next twelve months. We’ve got some new posters that will be a first look at these projects for some of you and a gentle reminder for others. First up is the superhero “found footage” thriller Chronicle by director Josh Trank (The Kill Point). Trank’s cinematic directorial debut features three teenagers who become imbued with superpowers and how those abilities darken their lives. Next, from David Cronenberg (A Dangerous Method) comes Cosmopolis, starring Robert Pattinson (Twilight). The adaptation of the Don DeLillo’s novel by the same name follows a young billionaire (Pattinson) as his limo traverses Manhattan in search of a haircut (not making this up). Finally, the animated Rise of the Guardians, which has the most charming poster in my opinion, is based off of the “Guardians of Childhood” book series by William Joyce and features childhood legends teaming up to take on the Boogeyman. Hit the jump to check out the posters.

Hugh Jackman Says They May Shoot Both PG-13 and R-Rated Versions of THE WOLVERINE

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 10th, 2011 at 3:27 pm

Hugh Jackman is currently doing press rounds for Shawn Levy’s Real Steel, which means he’s constantly being asked about The Wolverine. After a rocky start, James Mangold is set to direct the sequel to 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which will take place mostly in Japan. Jackman recently talked to Steve a bit about how much of Darren Aronofsky’s original version of the script is intact in this new iteration, and now the actor has revealed that there’s a possibility that we might see an R-rated version of the film:

“James Mangold and I talked about [an R-rated version] and we’re like ‘Look, let’s not put it off the table.’ There’s even talk about us doing two versions, as in finding a way to do both while you shoot it, which could be really cool. But you need to have a really good reason to exclude those fans.”

We got a glimpse of a NSFW Wolverine with Jackman’s glorious cameo in X-Men: First Class, so I think everyone would agree that an R-rated Wolverine would be a very good thing. Hit the jump to see what else Jackman had to say about the possibility of going R.

TOP 5: THE AVENGERS, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT Returns, IN TIME Set Visit, THE IDES OF MARCH and REAL STEEL Interviews

by Jason Barr    Posted: October 8th, 2011 at 11:23 am

In last week’s “Top 5″, I painfully admitted to not having seen either Moneyball or 50/50. Moreover, I put my credentials as “mildly credible film blogger” up as collateral in the case that I hadn’t checked both out by this week. Sadly, I’ll have to forfeit my title as I’ve only managed to catch 50/50 so far. On the bright side, I thought that film was great and is definitely one of my favorites of the year thus far. As for Moneyball, well there’s always this week.

In spite of my lack of mild credibility, I hope you’ll still choose to check out this week’s “Top 5″ where you’ll find new hi-res images from The Avengers, the return of Arrested Development, our In Time set visit coverage, and interviews for George Clooney’s political drama The Ides of March and Shawn Levy’s robot boxing extravaganza Real Steel. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

Director Shawn Levy Interview REAL STEEL

by Christina Radish    Posted: October 7th, 2011 at 12:13 pm

Real Steel is a true underdog tale that combines the grand spectacle of robot boxing with the grounded story of three abandoned beings – a father, a son, and a discarded robot – who, together, have the chance to become real heroes. In 2020, boxing fans have become bored with watching human beings fight each other, so the sport has evolved to the point where robots pummel each other to the death. Washed up, former heavyweight Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) begrudgingly teams up with his long-abandoned son (Dakota Goyo) to turn a junkyard robot into the champ they believe he can be.

At the film’s press day, director Shawn Levy talked about the challenge of getting the robots to work, the decision behind not giving his star robot Atom a face, why he feels he is able to direct kids so easily, creating his own version of the year 2020, the Simul-Cam B technology used to shoot the film, and his personal philosophy for directing. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

REAL STEEL Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 7th, 2011 at 6:09 am

The greatest achievement in Shawn Levy’s Real Steel is building the world of robot boxing.  The term “robot boxing” sounds incredibly stupid when you hear it and flashes of Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots and the failed TV show Battlebots come to mind.  But Levy does a tremendous job for showing not just the hi-tech wonder of the World Boxing Organization (WBO), but he takes us to the back-alleys, run-down theme parks, and country fairs where a punching robot and its owner can make some cash and win some glory.  Paired with well-choreographed fights that wisely make heavy use of animatronics and practical effects, Real Steel almost has an unbeatable combination.  But the clunky storytelling and awful performance from child actor Dakota Goyo stop the movie from landing a knock-out punch (I promise I’ll try to keep the boxing puns to a minimum).

Hugh Jackman Interview REAL STEEL

by Christina Radish    Posted: October 4th, 2011 at 6:06 pm

In the robot boxing drama Real Steel, actor Hugh Jackman plays Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who is forced to hustle for robot fights wherever he can get them, in order to earn enough money to survive. In a world where 2000-pounds, 8-foot-tall hunks of steel rule the ring, the stakes are brutal and the arenas are no-holds-barred. Already verging on rock bottom, Charlie reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a discarded robot that he believes could be a championship contender.  You can watch some clips here.

At the film’s press day, Hugh Jackman talked about establishing the father-son relationship at the core of the film, how both he and his kids would love to have a robot of their own at home, and that he thinks it would be fun to explore Max’s teenage years, if there’s a sequel for the film. He also talked about his thoughts on Eddie Murphy as the next Oscar host, preparing a one-man show for Broadway, returning to the Wolverine character, and taking on Les Miserables, which even prompted him to sing a bit. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Exclusive: Hugh Jackman Talks His Return to Broadway and Gives Update on THE GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 3rd, 2011 at 1:39 pm

In addition to pulling off the brooding action star thing from time to time, Hugh Jackman is also very much a song and dance man. He won numerous awards, including the Tony, for his starring turn in the stage musical The Boy from Oz, and later this month Jackman is returning to Broadway for a 10-week run of Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway. Steve recently got the chance to speak to the actor about his upcoming sci-fi pic Real Steel, but the actor also talked about returning to Broadway, how he chose the songs he’s performing, his love for the stage, and he also gave an update on the P.T. Barnum-style movie musical The Greatest Showman on Earth. Hit the jump to see what the actor had to say.

Hugh Jackman Talks THE WOLVERINE Script: Mark Bomback’s Re-Write and Similarities to Darren Aronofsky’s Version

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 2nd, 2011 at 5:12 am

While it’s taken awhile to come to fruition, it sounds like The Wolverine is finally on track and heading towards production. After Darren Aronofsky abruptly dropped out of the director’s chair this past March, the project and its 2012 release date were left in a state of limbo. Following an extensive director search, Fox and Hugh Jackman finally settled on James Mangold to take the reins of the superhero flick. Production is now set to begin next spring, straight after Jackman wraps Les Miserables.

Steve recently got the chance to speak with Jackman about the upcoming sci-fi pic Real Steel, but the actor also provided an update on The Wolverine during the course of the conversation. He revealed that the current iteration of the script is about 85% the same as Aronofsky’s version, and commented on Mark Bomback’s rewrite of Christopher McQuarrie’s initial script, saying that he thinks it’s as strong if not stronger than the Aronofsky/McQuarrie version. Hit the jump to check out what he had to say.

Hugh Jackman Talks Tom Hooper’s LES MISERABLES; Filming Begins in March, Confirms 3D is Being Discussed

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: September 30th, 2011 at 2:57 am

Hugh Jackman is an expert at making men the world over look bad.  Not only is he incredibly nice, good-looking, talented, charming, and funny, but he can also sing and dance like nobody’s business.  What an asshole.  Steve recently sat down with the gracious actor to talk about his upcoming sci-fi flick Real Steel, but during the conversation Jackman spoke a bit about his upcoming role in The King’s Speech director Tom Hooper’s movie musical Les Miserables.   Jackman is taking on the starring role of Jean Valjean in the pic opposite Russell Crowe as the nefarious Javert.  The actor confirmed that filming begins next March and they’re getting ready to do some tests to determine whether Hooper will shoot the film in 3D or not.  Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

Hugh Jackman Tells the Story Behind His X-MEN: FIRST CLASS Cameo

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: September 28th, 2011 at 2:45 pm

Fox’s X-Men: First Class caught quite a few people off-guard when it opened this past May.  The stories of the rushed production schedule and reshoots had many thinking that the prequel would be a mediocre popcorn flick at best.  Instead, we got a smart, taut, and entertaining period film that turned out to be one of the best superhero movies of the year.  Among the film’s many strengths were the nods to the previous entries in the X-Men franchise, including quite possibly one of the greatest cameos of the past decade: Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine.  The actor turns up for just a few seconds, and delivers just one line, but he gets the biggest laugh of the entire film.

Recently, Steve got the chance to sit down with the actor to talk about his upcoming pic Real Steel.  We’ll have the full interview up soon, but Jackman told a great story about how his cameo in the X-Men flick came to be. The scene was filmed at the last minute, and Jackman came up with the final version of his line himself. Hit the jump for the full story.

Hugh Jackman Talks THE WOLVERINE and LES MISERABLES

by Christina Radish    Posted: September 26th, 2011 at 2:38 pm

At this past weekend’s press junket for Real Steel, opening in theaters on October 7^th, Collider got the opportunity to speak with the versatile and multi-talented Hugh Jackman, who plays washed-up boxer Charlie Kenton, a man whose sport has been taken over by 8-foot steel robots, forcing him to hustle for robot fights where he can get them and earning just enough money to survive.

While we will post the portion of the interview about what drew him to that role and how much his own kids love the movie, closer to the film’s release date, we did want to post what he had to say about his upcoming projects. When asked about which film he would be doing next, Jackman said he’d be doing a one-man show on Broadway, then playing Jean Valjean in Les Miserables for director Tom Hooper, at the beginning of next year, before doing The Wolverine after that. As far as returning to the Wolverine role goes, the Aussie actor said he’s looking forward to the backdrop of Japan, the rich source material they’re drawing from, and the addition of more ladies this time around. He also shared his enthusiasm for seeing what Eddie Murphy will bring when he hosts the next Oscars. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

7 Clips from REAL STEEL

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: September 23rd, 2011 at 8:58 pm

With director Shawn Levy’s Real Steel getting released October 7th, DreamWorks has sent over seven clips.  Produced by Steven Spielberg  and starring Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, Kevin Durand, Hope Davis, and Dakota Goyo, the film is set in near future when robot-boxing has become the most popular sport in the world.  The pic centers on Charlie (Jackman) a former boxer who is attempting to mentor/program a robot to the top of the android-boxing ranks along with his estranged son.

I got to see a screening a few days ago and have to say…the movie is pretty great and the effects are incredible.  It definitely has the Spielberg magic and I think a lot of fathers and sons are going to really enjoy it.  Also, Levy does a great job with the material and I really think this is his ticket into fandom’s hearts.  Trust me, after this opens, you’re going to see a lot of people talking about Levy in a new light.   It won’t surprise me when people start mentioning his name on some high profile projects.  Hit the jump for the clips and look for new interviews with the cast very soon.

TIFF 2011: BUTTER Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 14th, 2011 at 9:45 pm

Jim Field Smith’s Butter could have been a scathing political satire.  It could have been a wicked dark comedy.  It could have even been a heartwarming family drama.  Instead, Butter tries to be all of these things and only manages to squeeze out occasional bits of humor and heart from any of them.  The film is endlessly frustrating, consistently disappointing, and one where every missed opportunity is a stinging reminder of how this could have been a great movie.

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