Mia Wasikowska

Mia Wasikowska to Star in TRACKS, Minka Kelly Joins THE BUTLER

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 6:24 pm

Two bits of casting news today for some lovely leading ladies (although only one of the roles is actually a lead).  Here are the headlines:

• Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) is set to join Tracks for director John Curran (The Painted Veil).  The Australian-set picture is based on Robyn Davidson’s trek across the heart of the island continent.
• Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights) will join Precious director Lee Daniels‘ historical drama, The Butler, based on the life of Eugene Allen, who served on the White House staff from 1952 to 1986.

Hit the jump for more.

Two New Clips from LAWLESS Featuring Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf and Guy Pearce

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 5:32 pm

In a summer filled with superhero spectacles and sci-fi extravaganzas, it’s nice to get back to the roots of Depression-era, moonshine-runnin’ crime dramas.  Director John Hillcoat (The Road) has the cure for what ails you in Lawless, an adaptation of the Matt Bondurant novel, “The Wettest County in the World.”  Lawless stars Shia LaBeouf (Transformers) and Tom Hardy (Inception) as the Bondurant brothers, Southern bootleggers during the Prohibition era.  A new clip from the film shows a nice moment between the two characters and highlights the range of both.  Another clip introduces the strangely androgynous character, Special Agent Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) who has swooped in from Chicago to shut the Bondurants down.  There’s some good stuff on display here, hints of which were seen in this trailer.  You should also check out these awesome character posters.  Lawless, also starring Jessica Chastain, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, Mia Wasikowska and Dane DeHaan will debut in theaters on August 29th.  Hit the jump to see the clips.

Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Shia LaBeouf and More Featured in LAWLESS Character Posters

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 18th, 2012 at 11:45 am

The period crime drama Lawless was on my radar for quite a while given its pedigreed cast and talented director, but the film rocketed towards the top of my most anticipated list with a truly stellar first trailer.  Based on the novel The Wettest County in the World, the film stars Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy as two brothers who become bootleggers in the South during Prohibition.  The trailer highlighted some truly badass moments for Guy Pearce and Gary Oldman, and I love the aesthetic that director John Hillcoat (The Road) has chosen for this story.  A few character posters have gone online featuring a majority of the film’s cast.  They’re not the most artful one sheets I’ve ever seen (the photoshop on Oldman is highly questionable), but I’m assuming these will appeal to wide commercial audiences who haven’t yet heard about the film.

Hit the jump to check out the posters.  The film also stars Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Mia Wasikowska, and Dane DeHaan.  Lawless will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and is slated to open nationwide on August 31st.

Cate Blanchett and Mia Wasikowska Confirmed for John Crowley’s CAROL

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 18th, 2012 at 9:22 am

Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) are set to star in Carol, the adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel, “The Price of Salt.” BAFTA winner, John Crowley (Boy A) will direct from a Phyllis Nagy (Mrs. Harris) adaptation.  Per the press release: “Carol is a love story about pursuit, betrayal and passion that follows the burgeoning relationship between two very different women in 1950s New York. One, a girl in her twenties working in a department store who dreams of a more fulfilling life, and the other, a wife trapped in a loveless, moneyed marriage desperate to break free but fearful of losing her daughter in the process.”  Filming is slated to begin next February in London and New York.  Hit the jump for more. 

New Images from LAWLESS, ANNA KARENINA, and NOW YOU SEE ME

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 7th, 2012 at 12:50 pm

We’ve got a few new images to share with you this afternoon.  Briefly:

• Lawless – Following a beyond stellar first trailer, we’ve got these new looks at Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Shia LaBeouf, Mia Wasikowska, and Guy Pearce in director John Hillcoat’s bootlegging-centered period drama.  The film opens on August 31st.
• Anna Karenina – A new image of Keira Knightley from director Joe Wright’s (Atonement) adaptation of the classic novel.  The film also stars Jude Law and Aaron Johnson and opens on November 9th.
• Now You See Me – The first official image of Isla Fisher in director Louis Letterier’s magician-centered heist drama, also starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and Mark Ruffalo.  The film opens on January 18th, 2013.

Hit the jump to check out the images.

Fantastic First Trailer for LAWLESS Starring Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, and Gary Oldman

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 24th, 2012 at 4:18 pm

The first trailer for the period crime drama Lawless has gone online.  Based on the novel The Wettest County in the World, the film stars Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy as two brothers who become bootleggers in the South during Prohibition.  This first trailer is pretty incredible, and a different stellar actor seems to pop into frame every 10 seconds.  LaBeouf, Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Guy Pearce and Gary Oldman all promise strong performances under the gritty/dirty direction of John Hillcoat (The Road).  Prohibition is a swell setting for some great drama, and I’m excited to see Hillcoat weave all the pieces of the story together with a strong character focus.  If the setting, cast, Hillcoat and the story aren’t enough to entice you, did I mention that the trailer features a bad ass Gary Oldman wielding a tommy gun?

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film also stars Jason Clarke, Mia Wasikowska, and Dane DeHaan.  Lawless will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival next month and opens nationwide on August 31st.

Mia Wasikowska to Lead MADAME BOVARY; Paul Giamatti Circling Supporting Role

by Matt Currie    Posted: March 30th, 2012 at 12:47 pm

Fresh off proving that she can totally rock a corset (plus, you know, poignantly bring to life one of literature’s most renowned characters) in last year’s Jane Eyre, young Aussie Mia Wasikowska is set to lead another adaptation of a 19^th Century classic in the form of Madame Bovary.  Gustave Flaubert’s highly revered and influential novel (which many cite as having planted the seed for modern literary Realism) tells the tale of Emma Bovary, a young woman who goes through life dreaming of excitement and romance, only to be stifled at nearly every turn by the repression of her male-dominated era. Paul Giamatti is also reported to be closing in on an important role in the film, which is being helmed by Sophie Barthes, who worked with Giamatti in her 2009 debut, Cold Souls. Hit the jump for more.

Cate Blanchett, Mia Wasikowska, and David Wenham to Make Directing Debut on Australian Anthology THE TURNING

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 22nd, 2012 at 9:33 am

Cate Blanchett, Mia Wasikowska, and David Wenham are set to make their directing debut alongside 14 other directors in the adaptation of Tim Winton‘s collection of short stories, The Turning.  The three actors will be joined by directors Benedict Andrews, Jonathan auf der Heide, Tony Ayres, Shaun Gladwell, Rhys Graham, Justin Kurzel Ian Meadows, Yaron Lifschitz, Claire McCarthy, Ashlee Page and Stephen Page.  Each of the 17 directors will handle a separate chapter of the book.  Per THR, “The linking and overlapping stories, while self contained, explore the extraordinary turning points in seemingly disparate but connected people’s lives.”  I hope the film’s theme isn’t “We are all connected,” because it’s meaningless when done in a fiction.  Characters can be connected by a writer, but connections between real people usually illicit nothing more than a, “Huh.  Small world,” and then they move on with the rest of their day.

This is the second Australian anthology film to move into production.  As we previously reported, Russell Crowe, Alex Proyas, Toni Collette, and eight other directors will helm Sydney Unplugged, which is in the vein of New York, I Love You and Paris, je t’aime.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of Winton’s novel.

Casting Call: Mia Waskowska Joins Jesse Eisenberg in THE DOUBLE; Kate Hudson to Lead EVERLY

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 1st, 2012 at 9:35 am

We have a couple of quick casting stories to report this morning.  First up, Mia Wasikowska will star opposite Jesse Eisenberg in The Double.  Directed by Richard Ayoade (Submarine) and based on the novella by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the film stars Eisenberg as a government clerk whose life is destroyed after what he believes to be an exact copy of himself begins working in his office and attempts to ruin his life.  There’s currently no word on Wasikowska’s role in the comedy, but Screen Daily reports that filming is set to begin shooting in the UK in the spring/summer.  Wasikowska will be seen later this year in The Wettest County and she’s also attached to star in Jim Jarmusch‘s crypto-vampire movie Only Lovers Left Alive.  In December, she was reportedly offered the lead female role in Spike Lee‘s remake of Oldboy.

Hit the jump for news on Kate Hudson starring in Everly.

Clive Owen Offered Villain Role in Spike Lee’s OLDBOY Remake [UPDATED: Mia Wasikowska Offered Female Lead]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 16th, 2011 at 2:29 pm

Director Spike Lee is gearing up to start production on his remake of Oldboy here pretty soon, and he continues to zero in on his cast. Josh Brolin is set to play the protagonist, a man who is inexplicably imprisoned for 15 years, only to be set free and sent on a hunt to track down those responsible for his abduction and imprisonment. Colin Firth was first approached to take on the villain role, and confirmed as much a few weeks ago, but he’s since passed on the role. Now Twitch reports that Lee has offered the part to Clive Owen.

While I was really hoping to see Firth in the role, Owen isn’t a bad substitute. He’s got the sophistication thing down, and it’ll be interesting to see him square off against Brolin. Owen and Lee have a bit of history together, as Owen starred in Lee’s underrated thriller Inside Man, so their relationship probably bodes well for the chances of Owen accepting the offer. Now to see whom Lee chooses as his female lead. [Update: Well that was fast; Mia Wasikowska (The Kids Are All Right) has apparently been offered the female lead. Hit the jump for more.]

THE WETTEST COUNTY, Starring Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy, Set for April 20, 2012

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 15th, 2011 at 7:42 am

The Weinstein Company has set John Hillcoat‘s The Wettest County for April 20, 2012.  Nick Cave (The Proposition) wrote the script based Matt Bondourant‘s novel about two brothers (played by Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy) who become bootleggers in the South during Prohibition.  In addition to LaBeouf and Hardy, the outstanding cast also includes Mia Wasikowska, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce, Dane DeHaan, and Jessica Chastain.  It looked like TWC would be setting the movie up for an awards run, but the studio already has its line-up set with The Artist, The Iron Lady, and My Week with Marilyn.  That doesn’t mean that Wettest County is bad, but it may not be appealing to Academy voters.  Neither were Hillcoat’s previous films, The Proposition and The Road.

Hit the jump for Wettest County‘s competition on April 20, 2012, and for a synopsis of Bondourant’s novel.

First Trailer for ALBERT NOBBS Starring Glenn Close

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: October 12th, 2011 at 7:26 pm

Glenn Close has spent the last three decades trying to bring Albert Nobbs to the screen after the title role won her an Obie in 1982.  She’s finally succeeded, and we’ve got the trailer to prove it.  Close plays a shy butler with a secret: ” ‘He’ is a woman who has had to behave as a man all her life in order to escape a life of poverty and loneliness.”  Janet McTeer, Mia Wasikowska, Aaron Johnson, and Pauline Collins also star.  Rodrigo Garcia (In Treatment) directed the adaptation from a screenplay by Close and John Banville, based on the short story by George Moore.

I am way too immature for the subject matter, and the film received mixed reviews at Telluride and TIFF.  But the trailer suggests a handsomely shot period piece and a tender approach to the story.  If you’re one of those mature cinephiles, check out the trailer plus two clips after the jump to judge for yourself.

TIFF 2011: RESTLESS Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 9th, 2011 at 3:39 pm

Is it a rule that a major film festival has to have a disingenuous, painfully quirky coming-of-age film?  This year’s Sundance Film Festival had one with Homework (re-titled to The Art of Getting By when it was released in theaters) and TIFF 2011 has at least one with Gus Van Sant’s Restless.  A collection of meaningless quirks and affectations, Restless obnoxiously makes it way to the banal conclusion that we must accept death.  It succeeds in that it will make you pray for your own demise if it means you don’t have to keep watching such an awful movie.

JANE EYRE Blu-ray Review

by Jackson    Posted: September 5th, 2011 at 5:00 am

Literary adaptations are a mixed bag. A handful of such films (The Shining, for example) actually surpass the books upon which they are based.  Many more are plain awful.  And countless lit flicks—regardless of the films’ merits compared to those of the books—undergo such far-reaching changes, sacrifices and/or additions to make the stories more filmic as to be only loosely connected to their source material. Cary Fukunaga’s Jane Eyre, the latest of many filmed versions of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel, scores high marks both for quality and for being an extremely faithful adaptation. Hit the jump for my full Blu-ray review.

Christian Bale Joins New Untitled Terrence Malick Project; Rooney Mara, Mia Wasikowska and More up for Female Lead

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: August 19th, 2011 at 12:08 pm

Notoriously meticulous director Terrence Malick is becoming quite the prolific director as of late. After helming only four films in his 30+ year career, he released The Tree of Life this past May, sparking up considerably passionate chatter over the film’s merits (as expected with a film as ambitious as Tree of Life). He has another untitled project that he’s currently in post-production on starring Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams and Rachel Weisz, and now comes word that Christian Bale is set to star in yet another film that the director’s prepping for an early 2012 shoot. Hit the jump for the details.

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