Kathryn Bigelow

Joel Edgerton Talks WISH YOU WERE HERE, THE GREAT GATSBY, Kathryn Bigelow, and More at Sundance 2012

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: January 25th, 2012 at 8:05 pm

Kieran Darcy-Smith’s debut feature, Wish You Were Here, premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.  Starring Joel Edgerton, Teresa Palmer, Felicity Price and Antony Starr, the film is about four friends (two couples) who embark on a carefree holiday in Cambodia, but only three of them return home.  As the film unfolds, we start to learn more about what happened on the trip and how one of them might know more than they’re letting on.

Shortly after seeing the film, I sat down with Edgerton for an exclusive interview.  During our extended conversation we talked about what it means to premiere at Sundance, how the project came together, what the film is about and who he plays, and how the project changed during the writing process.  In addition, Edgerton talked about two upcoming projects he’s involved with: Baz Luhrmann‘s The Great Gatsby and Kathryn Bigelow‘s Osama Bin Laden movie.  Hit the jump to watch.

Joel Edgerton Officially Joins Kathryn Bigelow’s Untitled Hunt for Osama Bin Laden Drama [UPDATED]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 5th, 2012 at 3:22 pm

Joel Edgerton is in, again. After having been previously reported as the star of Kathryn Bigelow’s (The Hurt Locker) untitled hunt for Osama Bin Laden drama, the Warrior star was forced to withdraw from consideration after scheduling issues with the 300 prequel looked to prevent him from toplining the project. Now Variety reports that Edgerton has officially signed on to star in the pic, which centers on the Navy Seal team that tracked and eventually killed Bin Laden. We recently reported that Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) was in talks to topline the drama, but Variety’s new report makes no mention of the actor. It’s possible he was the second choice to Edgerton, and now that Edgerton’s scheduling issues have been cleared up (he passed on the 300 prequel) Pratt is out.

The script was written by Bigelow’s Hurt Locker scribe Mark Boal, and the only other actor officially signed on is Jason Clarke. Rooney Mara had been eyed to play a female reporter embedded with the Seal team, but her Girl with the Dragon Tattoo promotion schedule prevented her from joining the pic. Edgerton is currently filming The Great Gatsby. The untitled film (previously titled Kill Bin Laden) opens December 19th, 2012. [Update: Deadline reports that in addition to Edgerton, Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, and Edgar Ramirez (Carlos) have joined the stellar ensemble. They also include Pratt in the cast listing, so it looks like he's still on the project after all.]

PARKS AND RECREATION Star Chris Pratt in Talks to Topline Kathryn Bigelow’s Untitled Hunt for Bin Laden Drama

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 13th, 2011 at 2:02 pm

It looks like director Kathryn Bigelow may have finally found the lead for her untitled drama about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden (formerly titled Kill Bin Laden). Joel Edgerton was previously set to topline, but scheduling conflicts forced him to drop out and now Twitch reports that Parks and Recreation star Chris Pratt is in talks to take the lead role. Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal (who also wrote Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker) retooled the project after Bin Laden was finally killed, and now it looks like they’re getting around to firming up the cast. The only other confirmed actor is Jason Clarke (The Chicago Code), but a number of performers have been rumored as possibilities for supporting roles (Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, Jennifer Ehle, and Guy Pearce to name a few).

Pratt is a peculiar choice as he’s not necessarily known for dramatic roles, but I’m interested to see what the role calls for. He plays lovable schlub Andy on NBC’s stellar comedy Parks and Recreation, and had a fine supporting role in this summer’s Moneyball. Bigelow’s drama is set to go in front of cameras in February, and is slated to open December 19th, 2012.

Kathryn Bigelow’s Untitled Hunt for Bin Laden Drama Set for December 19, 2012

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 18th, 2011 at 6:55 am

Sony Pictures has set Kathryn Bigelow‘s untitled hunt for Bin Laden drama (unofficially titled Kill Bin Laden) for December 19, 2012.  The studio had originally set the film for October 12, 2012, but moved it to make way for Kevin James‘ wacky shenanigans in Here Comes the Boom.  It was suspected that movie would come after the 2012 election, and the December release date confirms that expectation.  It also keeps the movie in the 2012 awards race.  It’s a funny road for a movie that was supposed to be a small and quick indie done before Bigelow and her Hurt Locker screenwriter Mark Boal (who also wrote Kill Bin Laden) moved on to their international crime drama Triple Frontier.  However, the successful mission to take down Bin Laden this past May changed Kill Bin Laden‘s ending and significantly raised the movie’s profile.

Last week Jason Clarke (The Chicago Code) signed on to play the lead role, and Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises), Jennifer Ehle (Contagion), Guy Pearce (who starred in Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker), Idris Elba (Thor), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), and Nina Arianda (Midnight In Paris) are being considered for supporting roles.  Hit the jump for the competition Kill Bin Laden will face on its new date.

Jason Clarke to Lead Kathryn Bigelow’s KILL BIN LADEN; Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, Rooney Mara, and More Considered for Supporting Roles

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 10th, 2011 at 1:31 pm

As late as this past September, it looked like Joel Edgerton would star in Kathryn Bigelow‘s hunt for Osama Bin Laden film (tentatively titled Kill Bin Laden).  However, Deadline is now reporting Edgerton’s The Great Gatsby co-star Jason Clarke (The Chicago Code) is “the first actor set” for the movie, and makes no mention of his fellow Australian actor.  I’m not exactly sure what happened to Edgerton, but maybe the start date for Bin Laden getting pushed back caused a scheduling conflict (Edgerton began talks to star in the 300 sequel last week).  But I have no problem with Clarke, who will reportedly play “a terrorist hunter in service of the U.S. efforts to hunt Bin Laden.”

Deadline also reports that Bigelow is also looking at Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises), Jennifer Ehle (Contagion), Guy Pearce (who starred in Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker), Idris Elba (Thor), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), and Nina Arianda (Midnight In Paris) as possible co-stars.  That’s a whole lot of talent, and it’s not surprising that Bigelow can put together a high-caliber cast after the success of The Hurt Locker.  Production on Kill Bin Laden (written by Hurt Locker screenwriter Mark Boal) is set to begin early next year.

Exclusive: Joel Edgerton Talks THE THING, THE GREAT GATSBY, and Kathryn Bigelow’s Osama Bin Laden Project

by Christina Radish    Posted: September 25th, 2011 at 9:00 pm

The upcoming thriller The Thing, opening in theaters on October 14^th, is a prelude to the 1982 John Carpenter classic of the same name. Following a team at an isolated outpost in Antarctica, the discovery of an alien creature that is unearthed by a crew of international scientists causes paranoia to spread, as they begin to question which of them have been infected with something inhuman that has the ability to turn itself into an exact replica of any living being. Paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), helicopter pilot Carter (Joel Edgerton) and the Norwegian scientific team find themselves fighting this terrifying parasite to keep it from killing them off one at a time.  Here’s the trailer.

Fresh off the acclaim for his performance in Warrior, actor Joel Edgerton spoke to Collider in this exclusive phone interview about this very different role for him, what a fan he is of the Carpenter film, how nice it was to have a combination of practical and CG effects, how cool it was to get to use a flamethrower, and why being a massive fan of the original made  Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. the perfect guy for the job of director. He also talked about taking on the role of Tom Buchanan, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, for Baz Luhrmann’s vision of The Great Gatsby, and what attracted him to the Osama Bin Laden project that director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal are currently working on. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Kathryn Bigelow’s KILL BIN LADEN/SEAL Team 6 Film Set for October 12, 2012

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 28th, 2011 at 1:12 pm

We previously reported that Sony Pictures would release release Kathryn Bigelow’s Kill Bin Laden (rumored title)/SEAL Team 6 film on in late 2012.  Deadline is now reporting that the exact release date is October 12, 2012.  To the surprise of no one, that’s in the heart of awards season.  An early October date worked out well for Sony last year they released The Social Network.  The movie, which stars Joel Edgerton, was already in the works before Bin Laden was killed earlier this year.  Screenwriter Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) rewrote the third act to reflect the updated history and the ending is reportedly more “satisfying” now (although I would prefer an ambiguous ending in a movie to one that provides satisfying closure).

Currently no other film holds the October 12, 2012 release date but that will undoubtedly change in the months ahead.

Columbia Pictures Lands Domestic Rights to Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal’s KILL BIN LADEN; Films This Summer for Late 2012 Release

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: May 24th, 2011 at 5:17 pm

Columbia Pictures has acquired domestic rights to Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal’s (The Hurt Locker) next movie, which has the working title Kill Bin Laden.  The press release says, “the film focuses on the black ops mission to capture or kill Osama bin Laden, which culminated in his death earlier this month during a high-stakes raid on his compound in Pakistan. Bigelow and Boal have been developing the project since 2008 and plan to incorporate recent events into the film.”

We knew the project was moving forward because Joel Edgerton was recently cast as one of the special operatives.  However, the press release says they’re going to start filming this summer and it’ll be released in late 2012.  As one of the many who thought The Hurt Locker was a brilliant movie that not enough people got to see, I’m happy that Bigelow and Boal’s next release will be everywhere.  Hit the jump for the full press release which has some quotes.

Joel Edgerton Confirmed for KILL BIN LADEN; Shortlisted for THE HUNGER GAMES

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: May 5th, 2011 at 8:14 pm

The suddenly timely thriller known by the working title Kill Bin Laden has found its first killer.  After director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal, the team behind The Hurt Locker, spent recent days courting Joel Edgerton for the lead role, 24 Frames confirms the Australian actor has signed on to star.  Sources indicate Edgerton will play a special operative, part of an ensemble of male commandos at the center of an mission to kill Bin Laden shortly after the 9/11 attacks.  Initially the mission depicted was unsuccessful, but following the events of Sunday night, Boal reworked the script to end the movie with a 40-minute firefight that ends with Bin Laden shot in the head. Kill Bin Laden could shoot as early as this summer.

The martial male leads of the Hurt Locker male (Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty) were top notch — I’m excited to see who Bigelow and Boal get to surround Edgerton, a teriffic machismo centerpiece.  The filmmakers are the first to succeed in a recent flurry of inquiries to Edgerton’s agent for a series of high-profile projects.  Universal considered Edgerton for both The Bourne Legacy and Snow White and the Huntsman.  Jeremy Renner eventually landed Bourne, and Edgerton passed Snow White on to Chris Hemsworth, the new top contender to play the huntsman.  24 Frames suggests Edgerton was shortlisted for one of the lead roles in The Hunger Games, which is the first I’ve heard of it.  Hit the jump for a look at what role Lionsgate might want him for.

Does Osama Bin Laden’s Death Help or Hinder Kathryn Bigelow’s KILL BIN LADEN? [Updated]

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 2nd, 2011 at 10:56 am

First off, a little perspective: I am aware that the extent to which the long-awaited death of Osama Bin Laden affects movies is miniscule compared to the closure and sense of justice that death provides to those affected by Al-Qaeda’s terrorism.  If a sense of closure for families that lost someone on 9/11 is a “10″, then news about a Bin Laden movie is about 0.0001.  But we’re a movie news site and the death of this hated piece of shit has affected various movies in production, most notably, Kathryn Bigelow’s Kill Bin Laden.

As we’ve previously reported Bigelow and Hurt Locker screenwriter Mark Boal want to do a smaller movie before moving on to the international drug crime drama, Triple Frontier.  In January, we reported that the indie thriller was about the hunt for Bin Laden, but then Variety updated their story to say the film had nothing to do with Bin Laden.  What could have led them to originally think that it did?  Apparently the script is called “Kill Bin Laden”.  And it actually does have something to do with the recent Al-Qaeda corpse.  Hit the jump for more.

James Cameron, Guillermo del Toro, Kathryn Bigelow, and Other Directors and Producers Write Open Letter Protesting Premium VOD

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 20th, 2011 at 9:58 am

Home Premiere, a Premium VOD service backed by four major studios, is set to launch tomorrow on DirecTV.  The service would charge consumers $30 to watch movies only sixty days after they first hit theaters.  Theaters, fearing that their revenues will be drastically cut, have responded with threats that range from believable to ridiculous.  Now 23 directors and producers, including James Cameron, Michael Bay, Kathryn Bigelow, Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson, Michael Mann, and Gore Verbinski have released an open letter siding with the theaters.

In the letter, the signers make the point that just because Premium VOD launches at $30, it doesn’t mean it will stay there and it could conceivably drop to $10 within a few year.  Hit the jump for the full letter.

Is Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal’s Next Flick about the Hunt Osama Bin Laden? [UPDATE: No.]

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 13th, 2011 at 10:55 am

Last month, we reported that The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal were planning to direct an indie feature before going to work on Triple Frontier.  At the time, I speculated that it could an adaptation of David David Rohde’s series of articles for The New York Times, Held by the Taliban.  Variety reported that the story would “concern black ops.”  Now Variety is reporting that “the plot concerns the hunt for Osama Bin Laden.”  IM Global has secured the worldwide rights to the untitled featured.

So it’s looking like Bigelow will head back to the Middle East for her highly-anticipated follow-up to The Hurt Locker.  With filming on Triple Frontier already scheduled for the fall, I wouldn’t be surprised if work on this untitled indie feature starts no later than spring. [Update: Variety has updated their story and we have now been informed that the story has nothing to do with Osama Bin Laden.]

Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal to Shoot Indie Thriller before TRIPLE FRONTIER

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 5th, 2010 at 9:18 pm

Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) are shopping an international thriller that they plan to shoot before going into production on Triple Frontier.  According to Variety, the indie project would “concern black ops and is based on a true story that has appeared in printed form.”  It could be based on David Rohde’s series of articles for The New York Times, Held by the Taliban.  However, at least as it really happened, that story didn’t involve “black ops”.  Rather, Rhodes and two Afghan colleagues were taken to a tribal region in the northwest region of Pakistan and managed to stage an escape.  While Boal has yet to write the script, it’s possible his and Bigelow’s pitch weaves black ops into the story.

For more details on how this project affects Triple Frontier, hit the jump.

Tom Hanks Confirmed to Star in Kathryn Bigelow’s TRIPLE FRONTIER

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 30th, 2010 at 7:47 am

Last month, we reported that Tom Hanks was “seriously considering” a starring role in Triple Frontier, the new film from Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker).  Producer Charles Roven now tells ComingSoon that Hanks is officially on board.  Roven added that they were still casting the other roles and they were aiming for a mid-March 2011 shoot.  He also referred to the project as “Triple Frontier” and not as its other rumored title, “Sleeping Dogs”.

Written by Hurt Locker scribe Mark Boal, the film centers on a border zone of South America known as “la triple frontera”, and is a haven for drug cartels.  There’s a strong Middle Eastern community who have long been linked to Islamic extremists and their money laundering activities.  Hit the jump for more on Triple Frontier and a refresher on Hanks’ other projects.

Johnny Depp in Talks to Star Opposite Tom Hanks in Kathryn Bigelow’s TRIPLE FRONTIER

by Laura Kelley    Posted: October 6th, 2010 at 8:05 pm

Johnny Depp is in talks to star opposite Tom Hanks in Paramount’s Triple Frontier, a crime drama set to be directed by The Hurt Locker’s Kathryn Bigelow.  The film is about the organized crime in the border areas between Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina.  The script was written by Mark Boal, who won an Oscar for his Hurt Locker screenplay.  Boal and Bigelow are producing with Charles Roven.  According to Deadline, Boal’s script features five main roles; Hanks and Depp are eying the two major leads.

Scheduling issues could stand in the way of Depp starring in Triple Frontier: the film begins shooting in February, a month that’s already booked for Depp to film Dark Shadows with director Tim Burton.  (That film is scripted by Seth Grahame-Smith, the author behind Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter who just sold a 3D adaptation of Lincoln to Fox with Burton producing.)  Hopefully things can be shifted around enough for Depp to do both Triple Frontier and Dark Shadows.

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