Mia Wasikowska

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.

First Images from ALBERT NOBBS, DARK HORSE, THE DEEP BLUE SEA, and FRIENDS WITH KIDS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 26th, 2011 at 11:07 am

The announcement of the films playing at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival has brought with it a deluge of first images from major upcoming movies.  After the jump you’ll find the first images from Rodrigo Garcia’s Albert Nobbs (starring Glenn Close and Mia Wasikowska), Todd Solondz’ Dark Horse (starring Selma Blair, Justin Bartha, and Christopher Walken), Terence Davies’ The Deep Blue Sea (starring Rachel Weisz and Tom Hiddleston), and Jennifer Westfeldt’s Friends with Kids (starring Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, and Adam Scott).

Hit the jump to check out all of the images.  We’ve also provided the synopses.  The 2011 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8th – 18th.  For all the new TIFF images we’ve posted today, click here.

New Trailer for Gus Van Sant’s RESTLESS

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: July 7th, 2011 at 3:40 pm

A new trailer for director Gus Van Sant’s (Milk) new film Restless has been released. The film tells the story of a terminally ill girl (Mia Wasikowska) who, during her last remaining months, befriends a boy (Henry Hopper) whose best friend is a ghost. Van Sant has a knack for small dramas, and judging by the trailer Restless seems to be no exception. Wasikowska and Hopper look great, and the story is quirky with a touch of heartbreak.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. In addition to Wasikowska and Hopper, the film stars Ryo Kase and Schuyler Fisk. Produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, Restless is poised to hit theaters on September 16^th.

Tilda Swinton, Michael Fassbender, and Mia Wasikowska to Star in Jim Jarmusch’s “Crypto-Vampire Love Story”

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 16th, 2011 at 10:30 am

Last August, we reported that director Jim Jarmusch had lined up talented actors Tilda Swinton, Michael Fassbender, and Mia Wasikowksa for his next film.  Today, we finally have some details on the project and it sounds like a doozy.  Jarmusch tells ScreenDaily that the film is a “‘crypto-vampire love story’, set against the romantic desolation of Detroit and Tangiers.”  Swinton, Fassbender, and Wasikowska will all play vampires with John Hurt in a featured role.

While I’ve grown more than tired with the glut of vampire flicks we’ve seen over the past several years, Jarmusch is obviously going to craft a vampire flick unlike any other.  Granted, I’m not the biggest fan of his work, but I can appreciate that he’s uncompromising and original in his vision and I’m glad filmmakers like him can still get their movies made.

Set Photos From John Hillcoat’s THE WETTEST COUNTY IN THE WORLD

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 25th, 2011 at 8:35 am

A few set photos from director John Hillcoat’s The Wettest County in the World have hit the web. While the quality isn’t great, we do get a look at stars Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy and Jason Clarke in their 1920’s get-up. We previously saw LaBeouf in the first set photo from the film last month.

The Wettest County boasts a brilliant cast that includes LaBeouf, Hardy, Clarke, Mia Wasikowska, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce, Dane DeHaan, and Jessica Chastain. Based on the book by Matt Bondourant, the story centers on two brothers (played LaBeouf and Hardy) who become bootleggers in the American south during Prohibition. Hit the jump to check out the set photos as well as a synopsis of the novel.

Sony Pictures Classics to Release Gus Van Sant’s RESTLESS Starring Mia Wasikowska

by Jason Barr    Posted: March 31st, 2011 at 4:26 pm

In November of last year, we reported that Sony had moved Oscar-nominated director Gus Van Sant’s (Milk) drama Restless from its January 28th release date to an unspecified date later in 2011. While the film, starring Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hopper, is still without a solid release date (sometime around the fall 2011 festival season might make sense), a press release from Sony earlier today confirms that it has been shifted to the studio’s Sony Pictures Classics division who will handle its domestic distribution.

As a reminder, Restless tells the story of a terminally ill girl (Wasikowska) who befriends a gentleman who attends funerals for the heck of it (Hopper) and their ensuing friendship. You can check out a trailer for the film by clicking here. Hit the jump to check out the full press release.

JANE EYRE Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 11th, 2011 at 7:56 am

There’s a vast gulf between adapting a gothic period romance and connecting with a modern audience.  Director Cary Fukunaga doesn’t give a damn about that gulf and his adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre is a lush, confident, and powerful film as a result.  Fukunaga embraces the gothic atmosphere to create a haunting portrayal of a romance between a young woman who never loses her sense of self-worth despite the constant cruelty she receives and a man who has attempted to become aloof in order to hide a bizarre and horrifying secret.  Anchored by tremendous performances from lead actors Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender, Jane Eyre plays on its own terms and audiences who understand the game will be richly rewarded.

Mia Wasikowska Interview JANE EYRE; Updates on RESTLESS and THE WETTEST COUNTY

by Christina Radish    Posted: March 8th, 2011 at 10:26 am

The classic tale of Jane Eyre has been given a bold new re-telling that is infused with a contemporary awareness that makes it easily relatable to a modern audience. With Cary Joji Fukunaga at the helm, and starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender in the lead roles of the romantic drama, the 19 Century-set story follows an orphaned girl who is mistreated and then cast out of her childhood home, and subjected to further harsh treatment at a charity school. A teenaged Jane (Wasikowska) is then sent to the vast Thornfield Hall, under the guidance of the housekeeper, Mrs. Fairfax (Judi Dench), where she works as a governess for a child under the brooding master of the estate, Edward Rochester (Fassbender). As the two engage in games of wit and storytelling, they develop a deep connection which both frightens and intrigues her.

At the film’s press day, Australian actress Mia Wasikowska, best known for her roles in Alice in Wonderland and The Kids Are All Right, talked about how much she wanted to play this role, why a story set in this era is still so universal, playing the subtleties of a woman in this time period, and how much she enjoyed working with co-stars Michael Fassbender and Jamie Bell. She also talked about her roles in the upcoming features Restless, directed by Gus Van Sant, and The Wettest County, directed by John Hillcoat. Check out what she had to say after the jump:

Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman in Talks to Join STOKER

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 11th, 2011 at 1:36 pm

Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman and likely-Oscar-winner Colin Firth are in negotiations to star in Stoker.  The film is the English-language debut of Oldboy director Chan Wook-Park.  As we reported a couple weeks ago, Mia Wasikowska has signed on to play the lead role of India Stoker, “an eccentric teen whose enigmatic and estranged uncle returns to the family after the death of the girl’s father.”  Jodie Foster was set to play the girl’s mother, but dropped out.  Now it looks like Kidman will play the mom while Firth will play the uncle.

The way the shooting schedule is shaking out, it looks like Stoker will be Firth’s first film (say that five times fast) since The King’s Speech became the Oscar front-runner and scored at the box office.  While he’s also signed on to star in the remake of Gambit, 24 Frames reports that Stoker is likely to go in front of cameras first.  As for Kidman, she’ll next be seen in the hostage drama Trespass with Nicolas Cage.

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