Javier Bardem

More Details on Terrence Malick’s Untitled Romantic Drama Starring Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 3rd, 2011 at 7:58 am

Earlier this week, we reported that writer-director Terrence Malick had two new films (both starring Christian Bale) in the pipeline, which was surprising considering the huge time gap between Malick’s previous movies.  But neither of the Bale movies are the follow-up to The Tree of Life.  Malick’s next movie is an untitled romantic drama (previously titled The Burial) he shot last year, and 24 Frames has some new details on the plot.  To begin, it’s Malick’s first movie set in the present day, and he’s currently at work editing the picture, which he expects to be finished by next year (although that doesn’t mean a distributor will release it in 2012).  So what’s this mystery flick about?  Philandering!  Europeans!  Oklahoma!

Hit the jump for more details.  The film stars Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Olga Kurylenko, Javier Bardem, Rachel Weisz, Barry Pepper, and Jessica Chastain.

JAMES BOND 23 Officially Titled SKYFALL; New Details Revealed [Updated with Images & Video of the London Press Conference]

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 3rd, 2011 at 6:41 am

Sony Pictures held a press conference today to announce details on the 23rd James Bond film.  First up, Sony confirmed the title would be Skyfall, which sounds a bit sci-fi, but is a billion times better than “Quantum of Solace“.  As for the title’s meaning, producer Barbara Broccoli says, “It has emotional context which will be revealed in the film.”  The press conference was also attended by director Sam Mendes, co-producer Michael G. Wilson, and cast members Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Bérénice Marlohe, and Naomie Harris.

The official James Bond twitter, @007, tweeted the logline: “Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.” Hit the jump for more juicy details on 007′s next adventure.  The film also stars Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, and Ben Whishaw.  Skyfall is due out November 9, 2012. [We've updated the story with the press release, as well as photos and video from the press conference, all of which you can check out after the jump.]

The TV Series Parts of THE DARK TOWER Head to HBO

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: October 25th, 2011 at 10:34 am

Just a couple days ago we got word from producer Brian Grazer that $45-50 million had been cut from the budget for the adaptation of Stephen King‘s The Dark Tower to make it more appealing to studios. While Grazer and director Ron Howard are still looking for a place to set up the film portion of the adaptation, we can’t forget that the ambitious project also calls for a couple seasons of television between three planned films. Thankfully, it doesn’t sound like that side of the deal has been hard to set up as Grazer recently spoke with MTV and said, “We’re going to do [The Dark Tower] with HBO. We’ll do the TV with HBO, and we’ll do the movie with… to be determined. We’ll do it right.” Seems like the best home for material like this, that way there aren’t any restrictions as to the violence, language, etc. No details as were offered as to just how long each season will be or anything like that, but it sounds like we might get some solid information sooner than later so stay tuned.

If you’re unfamiliar with The Dark Tower, hit the jump for a synopsis.

Javier Bardem in Talks to Voice Villain in DESPICABLE ME 2

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 5th, 2011 at 5:51 pm

Four years after scaring the hell out of people (and winning an Oscar for it) in No Country for Old Men, Javier Bardem is taking on a baddie role again, only this time it’s just his voice. The actor is in negotiations to lend his vocal talents to a new villain in Illumination Entertainment’s Despicable Me 2. Heat Vision reports that Bardem will be voicing a character named El Macho, whose son is named Machito (naturally). Plot details are being kept under wraps, so unfortunately that’s all we know about the character at this time. The first film was a bona fide hit, grossing over $500 million worldwide on a budget just shy of $70 million. I wasn’t necessarily blown away by the flick, but it was amusing enough and Bardem’s addition to the sequel is definitely enticing. Steve Carell and most of the other voice actors from the original are expected to return. The voice talent on that film included Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, and Will Arnett. Click here to check out the poster for the sequel. Despicable Me 2 opens July 3rd, 2013.

Do We Finally Have an Official Title and Plot Information for BOND 23?

by Jason Barr    Posted: August 30th, 2011 at 8:57 am

There are a few things we already know about the 23rd James Bond film. For starters, we know that Oscar-winner Sam Mendes will direct the film which is currently set to open in the U.K. on October 26th and the U.S. on November 9th. We also have a pretty good feel for the cast which already includes Daniel Craig and Judi Dench reprising their roles as 007 and M respectively as well as Javier Bardem (making a turn as the unspecified villain), Ralph Fiennes (as a character of “extreme complexity“), and potentially Naomie Harris as Ms. Moneypenny.

With all of this info in mind, those concerned for the film’s immediate fate following MGM’s, um, money problems should be all but put to rest. That said, there’s still some aspects that inquiring minds would like to know such as “What’s the official title?” and “What’s it about?”. Hit the jump for a report that claims to answer both.

Universal Passes on Ron Howard’s Film and Television Adaptation of THE DARK TOWER

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: July 18th, 2011 at 4:51 pm

It may have been too good to be true. After first committing to an incredibly ambitious adaptation of Stephen King’s series The Dark Tower that spanned three films and two seasons of a TV show, Universal put the brakes on the project asking director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman to scale the project down to make for a more feasible budget. The summer start date was pushed back to early next year while everyone involved worked to bring the budget down.

Well now it looks like the new version of the adaptation wasn’t scaled-down enough, as Universal has passed on financing the ambitious undertaking. Hit the jump for the details.

Naomie Harris to Play Moneypenny in BOND 23; Javier Bardem Confirmed to Co-Star

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 8th, 2011 at 6:15 am

After a forced delay due to MGM’s financial implosion, the 23rd James Bond film is finally gaining some traction.  The Daily Mail reports that Naomie Harris (28 Days Later) is in final negotiations to play Ms. Moneypenny, a character who has been absent from the franchise ever since it was re-launched with Daniel Craig as 007.  The Mail also confirms that Javier Bardem will co-star with Craig, Judi Dench, and Ralph Fiennes.  Bardem was previously tipped for the villain role while Fiennes is playing a character “of extreme complexity” according to director Sam Mendes.

Hit the jump for my thoughts on Moneypenny returning to the series.  James Bond 23 is set to open on November 9, 2012.

BIUTIFUL Blu-ray Review

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: July 7th, 2011 at 5:22 am

Alejandro González Iñárritu, director of the films Babel, 21 Grams and Amores Perros, is famous for integrating multiple storylines throughout a film to explore the deepest emotional recesses of what it means to be human. In Biutiful, his most recent work, Iñárritu departs from this “points-of-view” device in favor of focusing most of the screen time on principal actor, Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men). It is because of this decision that Biutiful may be Iñárritu’s best work to date, as Bardem’s broad emotional range is a perfect canvas for Iñárritu’s brush.

Biutiful is a relentless downward spiral of one man’s journey to provide for his family and seek forgiveness for his sins. With every new scene, the film somehow becomes bleaker and his situation more desperate. Perhaps the only failing of Biutiful is how rarely we are treated to moments of hope and levity. That shortcoming aside, Iñárritu’s Biutiful (and Bardem’s performance) is a dissertation on the flexibility of morality in the face of one’s mortality. Hit the jump for my review.

New Details on Terrence Malick’s Romantic Drama Starring Ben Affleck, and Is He Shooting Another Film This Year?

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 28th, 2011 at 12:56 pm

Writer/director Terrence Malick’s latest film, The Tree of Life, just opened in limited release this weekend, marking only the fifth film released by the auteur in an almost 40-year career. To say Malick takes his time in choosing and editing projects is an understatement. But the director’s trademark lag between productions may now be a thing of the past. Last year, Malick shot his follow-up to Tree of Life, a romantic drama starring Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Javier Bardem, Rachel Weisz, Barry Pepper and Olga Kurylenko. While details on the plot are extremely hard to come by (typical of a Malick film), a bit more information has been unveiled about the drama.

Previously referred to as Burial, the untitled drama is a love story described as being even more experimental than Tree of Life, a film that has drawn some polarizing responses given its lack of narrative and expansive reach for greatness, despite winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Someone who has seen footage from Malick’s follow-up stated that the director’s trademark meditativeness “is there in spades.” Even more interesting, though, is the fact that Malick has alerted his production crew to keep the summer and fall open to possibly shoot another film this year. Hit the jump for more.

Ron Howard Explains THE DARK TOWER Delay; Javier Bardem Not Yet Confirmed to Star

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 25th, 2011 at 11:02 am

I admire Ron Howard’s for his incredible ambition in trying to adapt Steven King’s The Dark Tower series into a trilogy of films with a TV series as the connective tissue between movies.  I don’t think he’ll be able to pull it off because he’s a bland director who thoughts that The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons needed to be humorless messes that retained all of the stupidity of the novels.

But earlier in May, Universal considered pulling out of The Dark Tower due to budget concerns.  The following week, we reported that Universal was working to bring down the budget and had pushed back the film’s start date.  Howard has now provided an update on the project’s status.  According to Howard, they’re now eyeing a spring 2012 start date but they’re stilling waiting for the green light.  Hit the jump for the full quote from Howard where he also casts doubt on the involvement of Javier Bardem.

Universal Working to Bring THE DARK TOWER Budget Down, Pushes Start Date Back

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 13th, 2011 at 1:27 pm

Maybe it really was just too good to be true. Last week, we reported that Universal was reconsidering their commitment to Ron Howard’s insanely ambitious adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series, which would span three feature films and two seasons of a TV show. Now THR reports that the project will remain at Universal, but Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman have regrouped and are attempting to bring what most certainly has to be a mammoth budget down to something more feasible.

The fall production start date has now been shelved, with no replacement date announced, but it’s rumored that they may be ready to go sometime early next year. However, what this means for star Javier Bardem’s involvement is unclear. His deal requires a great deal of his time be blocked out for the series, but pushing the start date back may interfere with other projects the actor has lined up. Howard will be directing at least the first film and first episode of the TV series. For now, we can be thankful that the project wasn’t shelved altogether. To catch up on all our coverage of The Dark Tower so far, click here.

Universal Considers Pulling Out of THE DARK TOWER

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: May 5th, 2011 at 9:25 pm

Every time I had the opportunity to write about the developing adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series, I wrote with awe at the ambition.  Three movies and two seasons of television!  I still can’t believe the studio is actually pulling this together.  Well, you see, here’s the thing…

Variety hears Universal is rethinking the original plan.  After encountering budgetary complications, the studio executives are expected to meet soon to decide whether to put the project into turnaround, at which point Imagine Entertainment heads Ron Howard and Brian Grazer could shop it to another studio.  If this happens, Universal could still co-finance or partner with the new home studio.

Variety stresses that, as of this writing, Universal has no plans to halt the development process.  Akiva Goldsman will write the screenplay, with Howard committed to direct at least the first movie.  Javier Bardem is on board as Roland Deschain, and the filmmakers are casting the supporting roles around him.  At the very least, though, this news casts a shadow of doubt on the planned May 17, 2013 debut.  More, including a synopsis of the series, after the jump.

Javier Bardem Close to a Deal to Star in THE DARK TOWER

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: April 6th, 2011 at 7:26 pm

We are going to track every damn step of Javier Bardem’s road to portray Roland Deschain in Universal’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series.  Under consideration.  Offered the role.  Producer Brian Grazer even created a new stage: “locked in psychologically“  (whatever that means).  Tonight, Deadline reports Bardem is “close to sealing his deal.”  Director Ron Howard is confident in his commitment, and has initiated meetings with other actors to build up a supporting cast around Bardem.

Universal is launching both a feature film trilogy and two seasons of a television based on The Dark Tower mythology, which introduces several layers of complexity to the negotiation.  The contract signs Bardem for the first film and one season of television with options on the two movie sequels to score his highest salary to date.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of the Dark Tower series.

Javier Bardem ‘Psychologically Confirmed’ to Star in Ron Howard’s THE DARK TOWER

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: March 1st, 2011 at 5:17 pm

Back in January, it was reported that actor Javier Bardem had been offered the lead role in Ron Howard’s ambitious three film/TV series adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower. While not much was heard after that, Howard’s producing partner Brian Grazer recently offered an update on Bardem’s involvement:

“Javier Bardem, that’s what we’re hoping. We’re in the process of trying to put that together. He’s locked in psychologically. He really wants to do it, so we’re absolutely rooting for him to do it.”

So it looks like Bardem’s keen to take the role on, and he’s currently in the negotiating phase. This could take a while, given that if he signs on it will likely be for three films and one “season” of the TV series. The adaptation is being spread out over three feature films, with two TV “seasons” bridging the gap between each film. In the interview with MTV, Grazer also revealed that the first story they’re exploring is The Gunslinger, which is the first book in King’s Dark Tower series. Hit the jump for more on The Dark Tower.

Ray Liotta Joins COGAN’S TRADE; Casey Affleck, Mark Ruffalo, Javier Bardem Confirmed to Co-Star

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 15th, 2011 at 2:10 pm

When we last left Andrew Dominik’s adaptation of George V. Higgins’ crime novel Cogan’s Trade, the film was stacking up a great cast led by Brad Pitt and costarring James Gandolfini, Sam Rockwell, Bella Heathcote, and Richard Jenkins.  Also rumored to be in the cast were Casey Affleck, Mark Ruffalo, and Javier Bardem.  Risky Business now confirms that not only are Affleck, Ruffalo, and Bardem in the mix, but Ray Liotta is getting in the game as well.

The story of Cogan’s Trade revolves around a mob enforcer (Pitt) who must investigate the robbery of a high-stakes poker game.  Liotta is set to play “Mark ‘Markie’ Trattman, the unfortunate hustler who runs the game in a motel room and finds things only going downhill from there.”  Filming begins later this month in New Orleans for an early 2012 release.  The only way I can see this cast getting any better is if the rumor about Bill Murray joining the film comes true.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel.

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