Judi Dench

New Images from THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, THE HOBBIT, PROMETHEUS, THE AVENGERS, and More

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 16th, 2011 at 12:21 pm

Empire, just about the best movie magazine you can find, has released their 2012 preview and with that comes a batch of new images from some highly anticipated movies. The center-piece of the issues appears to be Marc Webb’s Spider-Man reboot The Amazing Spider-Man. It includes new images of Andrew Garfield as Spidey, as well as looks at Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy and Rhys Ifans as the villainous Lizard. The issue also brings us new looks at The Avengers (featuring the Thor-Captain America street battle that was capture from every angle by set videos), Dredd, The Hobbit, Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, the new James Bond film Skyfall, and Snow White and the Huntsman. Hit the jump to check out the images.

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Review

by Bill Graham    Posted: November 25th, 2011 at 8:16 am

Sometimes a memoir has to be taken with a grain of salt. In My Week With Marilyn, a retelling of a young man who has the time of his life on and off-set with Marilyn Monroe, things can become a bit eye-rolling. How much actually happened manages to be less important. What is essential is a small glimpse into something we may already know but remains heartbreaking nonetheless: Marilyn was an imperfect creature trying to keep from being swallowed alive by her fame. Despite not answering much of the whys and remaining mostly fluff, director Simon Curtis gives Michelle Williams the daunting task of playing Monroe near the peak of her popularity and she nails it. You can look at stills as much as you want, but the moving image allows Williams to blend into the role and become something audiences can fall in love with all over again. Hit the jump for my full review.

New Set Photos from New James Bond Film, SKYFALL

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 7th, 2011 at 8:57 am

The first of set photos from the next James Bond film, Skyfall, have gone online.  Filming has begun and you’ll see from these set photos…kind of nothing.  Expect a lot of that because that’s the majority of set photos, and I don’t really understand the appeal of set photos for a movie like Skyfall where there won’t be outlandish costumes or otherworldly production design.  But it’s been three years since the last Bond flick and some of you may be hard up for anything 007.

Hit the jump to check out the set photos.  The film, directed by Sam Mendes, stars Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Bérénice Marlohe, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, and Ben Whishaw.  Skyfall opens November 9, 2012.

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.]

72 Images for J. EDGAR Starring Leonardo DiCaprio

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: October 26th, 2011 at 11:31 pm

You are intrigued by J. Edgar.  Leonardo DiCaprio stars as J. Edgar Hoover, the controversial founding director of the FBI.  The supporting cast—Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Judi Dench, Josh Lucas, Ken Howard—is more than solid.  And director Clint Eastwood is a reliable octogenarian.  Barring unexpected critical disappointment, J. Edgar is a lock for a Best Picture nomination come Oscar season.

To satisfy that intrigue, Warner Bros. has released 72 (count ‘em, 72) new images from the film.  The collection includes quite a few of DiCaprio in old age makeup (a sight that fascinates me), and several behind-the-scenes shots of Eastwood working out a scene. J. Edgar opens in limited release on November 9, and expands nationwide on November 11.  Bask in the period detail of 72 photos after the jump.

First Trailer for MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: October 5th, 2011 at 5:22 pm

The first trailer for My Week With Marilyn has gone online. Based on the memoirs of Lawrence Olivier’s assistant Colin Clark, the film details a week in the life of Marilyn Monroe as seen through the eyes of Clark. The trailer looks pretty great, and Michelle Williams looks to be going all out for the role of Monroe. It’s impressive to see her play the dichotomy of the public Marilyn and the private Marilyn, and Williams seems to be holding nothing back. I like the character-centric plot, and I’m interested to see where the overall arc of the film goes.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. The film also stars Kenneth Branagh, Dominic Cooper, Julia Ormond, Judi Dench, Emma Watson, and Eddie Redmayne. My Week With Marilyn opens on November 4th.

First Trailer for J. EDGAR Starring Leonardo DiCaprio

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: September 19th, 2011 at 5:08 pm

Warner Bros. has released the first trailer for the biopic J. Edgar directed by Clint Eastwood.  DiCaprio is spot-on here as J. Edgar Hoover. He’s got the accent down, and I’m liking his intensity (but really, did we expect anything less?). I’m still a bit apprehensive about the film given Eastwood’s less than stellar resume from the past few years, but I like what I’m seeing here. It suits the director to get back to character drama after the ethereal nature of Hereafter, and this seems to be on the right track. The film also looks to be taking a delicate approach to Hoover’s suspected “more-than-friends” relationship with Clyde Tolson, played here by Armie Hammer. Overall, I’m impressed (though DiCaprio’s old-age makeup is a bit, um, questionable), but I’m still keeping my expectations relatively low. The film also stars Naomi Watts, Josh Lucas, Jeffrey Donovan, Ed Westwick, and Judi Dench also star.

J. Edgar opens on November 9.  Check out the trailer after the jump.

First Trailer and Poster for THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: September 15th, 2011 at 1:56 pm

In case you haven’t had your fill of trailers today, we’ve got yet another one for you: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love), the film centers on a group of retirees who decide to spend their retirement at a luxurious resort in India, only to find that the actual structure isn’t exactly what they were expecting. The trailer actually looks pretty good, bolstered by a stellar ensemble of British actors including Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith, and Dev Patel. Some of the humor is a bit easy, but there’s actually a hint of the balance between drama and comedy that Madden perfected with Shakespeare in Love.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel opens March 9th, 2012.

Clint Eastwood’s J. EDGAR to Premiere at AFI Fest

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 7th, 2011 at 8:09 am

It looked like Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar was going to bypass the festival circuit entirely before opening on November 9th, but now it will hit up one fest along the way.  Deadline reports that the J. Edgar Hoover biopic will open this year’s AFI Fest on November 3rd. Warner Bros. insiders say that it’s Eastwood’s best shot at an Oscar since Million Dollar Baby, and it’s really surprising that people who work for the studio distributing J. Edgar would be talking up J. Edgar‘s Oscar chances.  You’ll forgive my skepticism since Eastwood hasn’t directed a great film since Unforgiven (his output since then has ranged from good to unwatchable).  His new M.O. is to take weighty subject matter and let that power the film without actually providing any insight or ambiguity.

However, I’ll end up seeing it since I always turn out for Eastwood.  Hoover is a fascinating and influential figure and I want the film to be good especially since it’s got a great cast in Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer, and Judi Dench.  It’s worth noting that opening AFI Fest doesn’t always get the Oscar ball rolling.  Last year’s opener was Love & Other Drugs.

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.

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.

Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Gillian Anderson, and Mark Williams to Star in 18th Century Zombie Film THE CURSE OF THE BUXOM STRUMPET

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 18th, 2011 at 8:40 am

It looks like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies isn’t the only period-piece/zombie flick mash-up in town.  ScreenDaily reports that Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Gillian Anderson, and Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley from the Harry Potter films) are attached to star in Matthew Butler’s The Curse of the Buxom Strumpet.  The film is based off Butler’s 2010 short comedy E’gad Zombies, which also starred McKellen.  The plot of Buxom Strumpet, co-written by Tori Hart, is about the “inhabitants of a small seaside town who are struck down with a deadly illness.”  No details are provided on that deadly illness, but I imagine it involves glassy eyes, coming back to life, and a hunger for human flesh.

While I’m a fan of this cast, I’m still not sold on the appeal of these movies beyond the novelty they provide.  I can understand Butler using the premise for a short film, but I’m worried that the joke becomes stale when stretched out to feature length.  Hit the jump to read a synopsis of E’gad Zombies and to see a trailer for the short.

Jeffrey Donovan to Play Robert F. Kennedy in J. EDGAR

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 8th, 2011 at 11:05 am

I’m huge Burn Notice dork and that’s due in large part to the charisma and versatility of its star, Jeffrey Donovan.  With Burn Notice being one of cable’s biggest hits, I’m surprised he hasn’t become a bigger presence in theaters, although that may be due to a number of factors (e.g. scheduling, preference, pay, etc.).  He last graced the big screen in a supporting role in Clint Eastwood’s Changeling and now it looks like he’ll be re-teaming with Eastwood for the upcoming J. Edgar Hoover biopic, J. Edgar starring Leonardo DiCarpio.  Donovan tweeted earlier today:

I fly to LA Sunday. I have been cars as Bobby Kennedy opposite LD in HOOVER. excited. working with Mr Eastwood again. Dreams come true.

Although (to the best of our knowledge) the movie is no longer titled “Hoover”, it’s nevertheless exciting that he’ll be a part of the impressive cast.  J. Edgar also stars Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer, Josh Lucas, Stephen Root, and Judi Dench.  As for Donovan, he’ll return in the new season of Burn Notice, which premieres this summer.  He also directed the upcoming Burn Notice spin-off movie, Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe, which airs on USA on April 17th.

Judi Dench and Michelle Monaghan Join BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: February 12th, 2011 at 11:37 am

Judi Dench and Michelle Monaghan will join Jeremy Renner and Jennifer Garner in the indie thriller Better Living Through Chemistry.  The script from David Posamentier and Geoff Moore ranked 17th on the 2010 Black List of Hollywood’s best unproduced screenplay, which provides this logline: “A straight-laced pharmacist’s (Renner) uneventful life spirals out of control when he starts an affair with a trophy wife (Garner) customer who takes him on a joyride involving sex, drugs and possibly murder.”  I really like this cast together, and I’m eager to see the ever-innocent Garner play against type.

Hit the jump for a look at the odd role that Dench will assume in the production (possible spoilers).

New Set Photos from J. EDGAR Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, and Judi Dench

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 11th, 2011 at 9:58 am

On Wednesday, we got our first look at Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover in Clint Eastwood’s, J. Edgar.  Today, new set photos have surfaced showing not only DiCaprio, but also costars Armie Hammer and Judi Dench.  Hammer plays Clyde Toulson, Hoover’s confidant and secret lover while Dench is playing Hoover’s mother, Anne Marie.

Hit the jump to check out the set photos.  J. Edgar also stars Naomi Watts, Ed Westwick, and Josh Lucas.

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