Maria Bello

NBC Shuts Down Production of PRIME SUSPECT

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: November 15th, 2011 at 2:07 pm

Well it lasted longer than some other canceled shows, but now NBC has pulled the plug on their freshman crime drama Prime Suspect. Deadline reports the network told cast and crew yesterday that they were shutting down production around the same time their midseason schedule went out without mentioning the series (though the bigger problem is the exclusion of Community). Though some insiders are saying the show technically isn’t canceled (hypothetically it could still be picked up for another season), but no more episodes will be produced after the 13th installment finishes shooting, and this season is officially over. Sorry Maria Bello. Better luck next time.

Jay Mohr Joins NBC’s New Police Drama PRIME SUSPECT

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: August 23rd, 2011 at 10:55 am

The series doesn’t even premiere until September 22nd on NBC, but EW already has word on a great guest star for Prime Suspect that could turn into a recurring role. Apparently comedian, film and sitcom star Jay Mohr will appear in this first season of the new police drama as New York City assistant district attorney John Bullock, a man considered good at his job, though not exactly on the same page as Jane Timoney (Maria Bello). Part of me is hoping this character will have the same kind of energy and intensity as his turn in Jerry Maguire, but that remains to be seen. Either way, he’s definitely a welcome addition to the series which looks like it could be one of the more solid debuts this fall, and a potentially great new crime drama. For your convenience we’ve included the extended preview for Prime Suspect after the jump.

New Trailer for ABDUCTION Starring Taylor Lautner

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: August 11th, 2011 at 2:58 pm

The second trailer for The Lautner Iden—er—Abduction has hit the web. The film pegs Taylor Lautner as an action hero and centers on a young man who’s out to uncover the truth as to why a baby photo of himself wound up on a missing persons website. While the first trailer focused on telling the story, this one plays much more like a fast-cut TV spot that’s very heavy on the action and light on dialogue. I think Lautner only speaks once. The supporting cast is pretty impressive, but I still have trouble taking Lautner seriously as an action star.

Directed by John Singleton, the film stars Lautner, Lily Collins, Sigourney Weaver, Danny Glover, Alfred Molina, Michael Nyqvist, Maria Bello, and Jason Isaacs. Abduction opens on September 23^rd. Hit the jump to watch the trailer.

BEAUTIFUL BOY Review

by Bill Graham    Posted: June 3rd, 2011 at 10:00 am

[This review is a reprint of Bill's review that ran during the Dallas International Film Festival]

Beautiful Boy is the story of missed connections between one another. Sometimes these result in arguments or misunderstandings, while other times they go unresolved until they finally boil over and cause a lasting effect. Director Shawn Ku gracefully navigates the heart breaking story of a couples’ loss in the wake of their son committing an act of mass violence at his college and then taking his own life. While the plot may sound conveniently topical, the way in which Ku treats the subject will have ripples for years to come. There isn’t an easy path of recovery to take, and now more than ever, people’s intrusive voyeurism and public remarks can cause even more emotional pain. Hit the jump for the full review.

Exclusive: Maria Bello Talks BEAUTIFUL BOY, NBC’s PRIME SUSPECT and ABDUCTION

by Christina Radish    Posted: June 3rd, 2011 at 9:58 am

Maria Bello has established herself as a very intriguing leading actress, taking on a variety of roles in projects all across the board. She can next be seen in the indie drama Beautiful Boy, about a married couple (Bello and Michael Sheen) on the verge of separation who, after a shocking act of violence committed by their son (Kyle Gallner), are united in their grief. In the fall, she will be playing Detective Jane Timoney in the NBC crime drama Prime Suspect, a re-imagining of the British television hit (starring Helen Mirren) about a tough-as-nails detective who doesn’t know when to quit. On September 23rd, the John Singleton action thriller Abduction starring Taylor Lautner will hit theaters, in which she plays a bad-ass with an amazing fight scene.

At the press day for Beautiful Boy, actress Maria Bello did this exclusive interview with Collider, where she talked about choosing roles very instinctually, how she was drawn to exploring the levels of grief for this role, how much she enjoyed collaborating with co-star Michael Sheen, and that she thinks this is ultimately a hopeful film. She also talked about why she wanted to get involved with another television series with Prime Suspect, working with Peter Berg, who directed the pilot, and how she wants to use every facet of herself in her work and life. Check out what she had to say after the jump:

Michael Sheen Exclusive Interview BEAUTIFUL BOY

by Christina Radish    Posted: June 2nd, 2011 at 7:34 am

Beautiful Boy is the story of how tragedy effects a family and all those around them, in every way. A married couple on the verge of separation suddenly find themselves having to turn to each other to overcome unimaginable heartbreak. Under intense media scrutiny following their son’s shocking act of violence that changes the lives of so many, Bill (Michael Sheen) and Kate (Maria Bello) see a chance for happiness again through their common grief.

At the film’s press day, actor Michael Sheen talked exclusively to Collider about baring himself emotionally for this role, playing the emotion of grief in such a naturalistic way, working with a director who established such an honest and collaborative set, and just being open and present in the moment. He also talked about why he loves playing Aro in The Twilight Saga, how he loves playing as many different characters, in as many different worlds as he possibly can, and why he wants to take on Hamlet next. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

NBC Picks Up Comedies UP ALL NIGHT and WHITNEY, Steven Spielberg Produced Musical SMASH, and PRIME SUSPECT Remake

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: May 11th, 2011 at 9:11 pm

After last night’s huge influx of news from Fox about series pick-ups, renewals and cancellations, it’s now NBC’s turn to announce some of their new series that we can look forward to in the fall. As of now there seems to be some dissension amongst the news outlets online as to whether or not Wonder Woman will actually get picked up, and other potential series like The Playboy Club are rumored for a pick-up but we haven’t heard anything official yet.

After the jump, check out the four new series that have definitely been picked up to premiere sometime this fall including a new sitcom from stand-up comedian Whitney Cummings, another comedy from Christina Applegate, a Broadway musical series from producer Steven Spielberg, and the stateside remake of the British crime drama Prime Suspect.

First Trailer for ABDUCTION Starring Taylor Lautner

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 13th, 2011 at 5:17 pm

The first trailer for the action thriller Abduction, starring Taylor Lautner, has been released. Directed by John Singleton (Boyz n the Hood) the thriller centers around a young man who sets out to uncover the truth after finding a baby photo of himself listed on a missing persons website. While Lautner’s acting still seems a bit too ham-fisted to be taken seriously, the supporting cast is fairly impressive and some of the action sequences actually looked pretty cool. I understand Lautner’s desire to move on to bigger and better things post-Twilight, but the guy’s no Tom Cruise.

Abduction stars Lautner, Lily Collins, Sigourney Weaver, Danny Glover, Alfred Molina, Michael Nyqvist, Maria Bello, and Jason Isaacs. The film is set to be released on September 23^rd. Hit the jump to watch the trailer.

Trailer for BEAUTIFUL BOY Starring Michael Sheen and Maria Bello

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 15th, 2011 at 12:34 pm

A trailer for the indie drama Beautiful Boy has gone online.  The story takes the unique perspective of focusing on the parents (played by Michael Sheen and Maria Bello) of a young man who went on a shooting spree on his college campus and then killed himself.  Usually, the approach to a senseless tragedy such as that is to blame the parents, and then the tragedy somehow makes sense: better parents means better kid means no shooting spree and we can go back to pretending that the world is not a random series of uncontrollable events.  I have hope that Shawn Ku’s film, which played at last year’s Toronto Film Festival, will handle its subject matter with maturity and insight.  Having Sheen and Bello as the leads is already a great sign.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.

TV Casting: Michael Emerson is a PERSON OF INTEREST, Maria Bello is a PRIME SUSPECT, and James Van Der Beek Playing Himself in New Pilot

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: February 17th, 2011 at 12:51 am

Though we’d heard J.J. Abrams was looking to reunite Lost stars Michael Emerson and Terry O’Quinn with Odd Jobs, the series has apparently been pushed back until the next development season in 2012. However, it looks like Emerson will still be working with Abrams this season as Deadline reports the actor will lead Bad Robot’s drama Person of Interest which has been set up at CBS. The proposed series is said to follow an ex-CIA agent, presumed dead, who teams up with a mysterious billionaire (Emerson) to prevent violent crimes in New York City. David Semel (Heroes) will direct the pilot which we’ll hopefully be seeing later this year.

For news on other TV casting with James Van Der Beek and Maria Bello, hit the jump.

First Image and Official Synopsis for ABDUCTION Starring Taylor Lautner

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 5th, 2010 at 1:22 pm

Since breaking out in a big way with the Twilight films, Taylor Lautner has been extremely busy on a litany of projects.  Today, straight from the American Film Market (AFM), we bring you the first image and an official synopsis of Lautner’s upcoming film Abudction, directed by John Singleton (Boys n the Hood).  The film is a thriller which centers around a young man who sets out to uncover the truth after finding a baby photo of himself listed on a missing persons website.   When we spoke to Lautner earlier this year, he spoke briefly about this project, but the synopsis here elaborates much more. Since previously telling you that Sigourney Weaver had joined the project, quite a few more impressive names have joined the cast. They include Lily Collins (pictured with Lautner), Danny Glover, Alfred Molina, Michael Nyqvist, Maria Bello, and Jason Isaacs.

This project actually sounds pretty interesting, and the talented John Singleton has rounded up a fine cast.  This seems like a smart move on Lautner’s part.  He’s able to take roles in the larger projects like Stretch Armstrong, but choosing to do a more dramatic film like this one shows that he’s not all about  the paycheck/flashy roles. Check out the image in high resolution and official synopsis after the jump. Abduction is set to hit theaters sometime in 2011.

UPDATE: We’ve been asked by the studio to remove the images. Sorry if you missed them.

Maria Bello and Stephen Dorff Get CARJACKED

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: August 26th, 2010 at 9:02 pm

Fair or not, there’s a bit of “career comeback” buzz surrounding Stephen Dorff’s starring role in Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere — the guy could certainly do worse than linking up with Maria Bello as a next move.  According to TheWrap, Dorff and Bello will star in the Peter Medak-directed thriller Carjacked.  Scripted by Michael and Sherry Compton, Carjacked revolves around “a single mother and her child who are carjacked by a thief who has no intention of letting them go.”  Ron Pearlman and Saffron Burrows were once set to play the lead roles, and Giovanni Ribisi was likewise attached to one draft of the script.  But by the time cameras start rolling next month in Louisiana, it will be Dorff who is vehicularly terrorizing Bello and her daughter.

Somewhere opens on December 22nd, followed by Dorff appearances in the 2011 films Born to Be a Star (April 22, 2011) and Tarsem Sing’s Immortals (November 11, 2011).  Bello will next be seen opposite Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, and Kevin Costner in The Company Men, which hits theaters October 22nd.

First Images from THE WARD and BEAUTIFUL BOY

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 25th, 2010 at 2:53 pm

Continuing our first-look image series of movies playing at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, we have images from John Carpenter’s The Ward starring Amber Heard, Mamie Gummer, Danielle Panabaker, Jared Harris, and Lyndsy Fonseca.  The Ward is Carpenter’s first film in over a decade and that alone is reason enough to see it. We also have images from Shawn Ku’s Beautiful Boy, which has a killer cast that includes Michael Sheen, Maria Bello, Moon Bloodgood, Alan Tudyk, Kyle Gallner, Austin Nichols, and Meat Loaf Aday.

Hit the jump to check out all the images and synopses for both films.  The 2010 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 9 – 19th.

5 Movie Clips from GROWN UPS

by David Lane    Posted: June 9th, 2010 at 3:17 pm

Sony has provided us with 5 clips from director Dennis Dugan’s Grown Ups starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, and Maya Rudolph.  The movie is about five men who were best friends when they were young kids and now are getting together for the Fourth of July weekend to meet each others’ families for the first time.  If you’ve seen the trailer and the TV spots, you’ve seen most of the footage.  Hit the jump to check the clips out.  Grown Ups gets released June 25.

Casting Call: Tucci and Gugino in MARGIN CALL; Ventimiglia joins THE DIVIDE; Brosnan, Thornton, Bello, and Ribisi for ST. VINCENT

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 14th, 2010 at 1:56 pm

If you’re wondering why there’s been so much casting news lately (I’m sure it’s plaguing your every thought), it’s because of all the deal-making going on at the Cannes Film Festival.  So here are three more deals: Stanley Tucci and Carla Gugino have joined Kevin Spacey and Zachary Quinto in Margin Call; Lauren German, Milo Ventimiglia, Michael Biehn and Rosanna Arquette have signed up for The Divide; and Pierce Brosnan, Billy Bob Thornton, Maria Bello, and Giovanni Ribisi are on board for St. Vincent.  Hit the jump for details on all three films.

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