Michael Winterbottom

New Posters for POSSESSION, TRISHNA and GRASSROOTS

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 22nd, 2012 at 6:16 pm

We’ve got some new posters for you today with all sorts of genre confusion.  Here are the movies in brief:

• The Possession, a horror-thriller from director Ole Bornedal that stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick and Natasha Calis.  The film opens August 31st.
• Trishna, from director Michael Winterbottom, stars Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed in an adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of the d’Urbervilles.”
• Grassroots, a policitcal comedy/drama from director Stephen Gyllenhaal, stars Cobie Smulders, Jason Biggs and Joel David Moore.

Hit the jump to check out the new posters.

Anna Friel, Tamsin Egerton and Imogen Poots Join Steve Coogan in KING OF SOHO

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 17th, 2012 at 7:08 am

Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies), Tamsin Egerton (Camelot), and Imogen Poots (Fright Night) have joined Steve Coogan in Michael Winterbottom‘s King of Soho.  Coogan will play real-life club proprietor, real estate developer, and porn publisher Paul Raymond and the comedy drama will focus on his business and personal life.  Per Variety, Raymond earned the name “King of Soho” because his business ventures earned him billions of pounds.  The movie will be Winterbottom and Coogan’s fourth collaboration after 24 Hour Party People, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, and The Trip.  Winterbottom’s latest film, Trishna, opens in limited release on May 18th.

Michael Winterbottom Set to Direct THE LONGEST COCKTAIL PARTY About The Beatles’ Apple Corps

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: October 12th, 2011 at 5:23 pm

Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher announced in May 2010 his company In 1 Productions is developing a feature about The Beatles’ multimedia corporation Apple Corps based on the Richard DiLello book The Longest Cocktail Party.  It may take another year or so for all the pieces to come together, but the way the project is shaping up, it will be worth the wait.  Co-producer Andrew Eaton recently revealed that Jesse Armstrong—one of the sharpest writers on the British comedy scene as evidenced by credits on Peep Show, In the Loop, and Four Lions among others—will adapt the screenplay.  Eaton also disclosed plans for Michael Winterbottom—who worked with Eaton on The Trip—to direct when there’s a space in his schedule.

Set in 1968-1969, the story centers on DiLello’s time as a student at Apple Corps with Apple Press Officer Derek Taylor.  Gallagher likes the idea of his friend Johnny Depp playing Taylor.  Eaton would love to have Depp on board in some capacity, though not necessarily as Taylor.  Hit the jump for his explanation.

Teaser Trailer for Michael Winterbottom’s TRISHNA Starring Freida Pinto

by Jason Barr    Posted: August 18th, 2011 at 3:01 pm

A teaser trailer for director Michael Winterbottom’s (The Killer Inside Me) drama Trishna has landed online. Starring Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed, the film is an adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles set against a contemporary Indian backdrop. For those unfamiliar, Trishna centers on the relationship between a rickshaw driver’s daughter (Pinto) and the son of a wealthy property developer (Ahmed). As you can probably guess, their vastly different socioeconomic backgrounds do not make a happy, healthy relationship all that easy to come by.

The film features original songs from Indian musician Amit Trivedi as well as an original score by Shigeru Umebayashi (House of Flying Daggers). If this cut is any indication, the contributions of each of these musicians are at the forefront of the film. Check out the teaser trailer for yourself after the jump. Trishna will make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9th.

New Images from Roman Polanski’s CARNAGE and Michael Winterbottom’s TRISHNA

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 11th, 2011 at 12:25 pm

I don’t remember the last time I posted this many image articles in a single day.  This is number five and it’s got new images from Roman Polanski’s Carnage and Michael Winterbottom’s Trishna.  The Carnage images are just stars Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz, and Kate Winslet doing dramatic stare downs at each other and even at the camera.  Carnage—which only runs 79 minutes since it plays out in real time—focuses on two sets of parents who come together to settle a schoolyard fight between their kids.  As for Trishna, the movie is based on Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles but set against an Indian backdrop.  I’m sure star Freida Pinto will have more to work with than she did in Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Hit the jump to check out the images.  Carnage opens this December and will play at the Venice and New York Film Festivals.  Trishna will play at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Jack Black to Star in Michael Winterbottom’s BAILOUT

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 12th, 2011 at 7:51 am

Jack Black has signed on to star in the Michael Winterbottom comedy Bailout.  The film is based on Jess Walter’s novel, The Financial Lives of The Poets. THR reports that the script (which Walter also wrote) “details the story of one man’s attempt to come back from the brink of financial ruin after meeting a couple of losers in a late night supermarket.”  Black will play the man on the brink of financial ruin although it’s amusing to think that a little over a decade ago, he probably would have played one of the two losers.

Winterbottom, who swings wildly between light comedy (The Trip, Tristam Shandy) and intense drama (A Mighty Heart, The Killer Inside Me) said Walter’s script accomplishes the “rare feat of being funny and true at the same time.”  Filming is set to begin in the US this August.  Black is currently promoting Kung Fu Panda 2 and he’ll next be seen in non-animated-panda-form in Richard Linklater’s Bernie.

Michael Winterbottom and Colin Firth Developing Film Based on Amanda Knox Murder Case

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 4th, 2010 at 11:45 am

Director Michael Winterbottom (The Killer Inside Me) and Colin Firth are developing a feature film based on the recent murder case involving American student Amanda Knox.  Last December, Knox was convicted by an Italian court for the murder of her roommate and sentenced to 26 years in prison.  A representative for Winterbottom told Variety that the project is in its “early days”, and Winterbottom told the Guardian that he was not planning to take sides.  Said Winterbottom, “I have no view on whether they did it, the film will not be about that. There is unlikely to be a character playing Knox.  I talked to Firth about the idea of playing a journalist or a writer.”  However, Variety adds that Winterbottom and Firth have been spending time with Rome-based American journalist Barbie Latza Nadeau, author of Angel Face: The True Story of Student Killer Amanda Knox whose book suggests Knox is guilty.

An Amanda Knox telefilm for Lifetime is already underway with Hayden Panettiere playing the Seattle-based student.  Knox’s appeal trial begins November 24th.

Trailer and Poster for THE KILLER INSIDE ME Starring Casey Affleck and Jessica Alba

by Christopher Gilbreth    Posted: May 25th, 2010 at 2:35 pm

The madness of The Killer Inside Me has been unleashed online.  Casey Affleck stars as Lou Ford, a duplicitous rage filled Texas Sheriff’s deputy who finds himself twisted up in a bloody caper. Director Michael Winterbottom’s film is based on a 1952 novel of the same name written by Jim Thompson. The late great Stanley Kubrick worked with Thompson on the 1956 heist noir movie The Killing, and touted The Killer Inside Me as “the most chilling and believable first–person story of a criminally warped mind I have ever encountered.” Personally, I’ve always found stories set between the 1940’s and late 1960’s that examine the true grimy nature of humanity to be intriguing. That time frame always seemed to be presented with a false veneer of purity. Though there always lurked some vague destructive beast underneath the innocence of that era. Films like Shutter Island and Revolutionary Road have been remarkable ruminations of the hyperbole and hypocrisy of humanity in those years, and The Killer Inside Me appears to follow the trend. The Killer Inside Me stars Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson.

Check out the trailer and the poster after the jump.

THE KILLER INSIDE ME Teaser Trailer Starring Casey Affleck

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 5th, 2010 at 2:53 pm

Icon Pictures has released the UK teaser trailer for Michael Winterbottom’s The Killer Inside Me.  It’s one of the best trailers you’ll see this year as it makes the film look mean, nasty, and utterly compelling.  Casey Affleck looks amazing as the lead character, a sheriff who pretends he’s a charming rube when in actuality he’s murderous sociopath.  Unlike the promo trailer that showed up last November, you don’t have to worry about being spoiled.

The film played at this year’s Sundance Film Festival to widespread controversy, particularly relating to questions about whether or not the film was misogynistic due to its portrayal of brutal violence against women.  UK audiences can judge for themselves when the film hits theaters on June 4th.  US audiences will have to wait until June 18th for the flick’s limited release.  The film co-stars Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Bill Pullman, Ned Beatty, Simon Baker, and Elias Koteas.  Hit the jump to check out the trailer from The Guardian [via The Playlist] along with the official plot synopsis.

Tribeca Film Festival: Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba, & Kate Hudson Court Controversy in THE KILLER INSIDE ME

by Ron Messer    Posted: April 29th, 2010 at 1:47 pm

The Killer Inside Me took its place among the most debated films on Tribeca’s slate at its star-studded screening, Tuesday night.  Cast members Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson defended the film’s explicit violence during a Q&A session following the NY festival premiere (it debuted at Sundance in January).

The 2nd film adaptation of Jim Thompson’s 1952 novel (Stacy Keach starred in the 1976 version) follows Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford (Affleck) who spends most of his time on the other side of the law.  It’s sparked controversy with two scenes of extreme violence toward women, including one where Ford repeatedly pummels a female (Alba) in the face.   The provocative film has set off another exploration vs. exploitation argument over the work of director Michael Winterbottom (Nine Songs, The Road To Guantanamo).  Hit the jump to hear the full discussion, including why Alba wanted the original scene to be even more raw & how Affleck thinks it compares to the Saw franchise.

Casting Call: Jamie Bell and Judi Dench in Negotiations for JANE EYRE; Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen Head to THE PROMISED LAND

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 11th, 2010 at 4:18 pm

Cary Fukanaga’s adaptation of Jane Eyre and Michael Winterbottom’s The Promised Land loaded up their casts today with some very talented actors.  First up, THR reports that Jamie Bell (Defiance), Judi Dench (Nine), Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky) and Imogen Poots (Me and Orson Wells) are all in negotiations to join Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) and Michael Fassbender (Hunger) in the adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.

Here’s The Hollywood Reporter’s rundown of the story and casting: The Gothic tale follows young governess Jane Eyre (Wasikowska), who falls in love with her employer, Edward Rochester (Fassbender), but discovers he harbors a dark secret.  Bell will play St. John, a clergyman who turns out to be Eyre’s cousin. Dench will play Mrs. Fairfax, the housekeeper of Thornfield Manor, who disapproves of Eyre’s engagement with Rochester.  Hawkins is Mrs. Reed, Eyre’s aunt, who adopts her but abuses and neglects her until death.

Hit the jump to learn about the casting and plot for Michael Winterbottom’s (24 Hour Party People) next film, The Promised Land.

Another Sundance Deal: IFC Films Purchases Michael Winterbottom’s THE KILLER INSIDE ME

by Bill Graham    Posted: January 30th, 2010 at 11:24 am

Michael Winterbottom’s controversially violent and gratuitous film, The Killer Inside Me, was picked up early this morning by IFC Films for approximately $1.5 million for U.S. distribution. The film, based on a Jim Thompson novel and a remake of the 1976 film of the same name, stars Casey Affleck as a deputy sheriff in Texas that is revealed to have a twisted and murderous tendency. Flick also stars Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Simon Baker, Elias Koteas, and Bill Pullman.

The Killer Inside Me recently screened at Sundance, and as the article notes, marks the second movie that IFC Films has picked up recently that has a controversial reputation. Last year, they purchase distribution rights for Lar Von Trier’s Antichrist. IFC Films plans for a summer release of the Winterbottom film in theaters and on their VOD service.

UPDATE: We’ve been sent over a press release about the purchase from IFC.  Hit the jump to read it:

Three Flicks from the 2010 Sundance Film Festival Premiering on a Cable Box Near You via VOD

by Matt Currie    Posted: January 7th, 2010 at 7:28 pm

Recently launched video-on-demand label Sundance Selects announced today that it has struck a deal with the Sundance Institute that will see three films from this year’s upcoming Sundance Film Festival become available on-demand across the nation in concurrence with their festival premieres. The featured films will be The Shock Doctrine, a documentary on disaster capitalism; Daddy Longlegs, “a fairy tale and bittersweet comedy about the responsibilities of parenthood”; and 7 Days, a revenge drama about a man who kidnaps his daughter’s killer for a week-long torture session. All three will be available on most major cable providers, as well as satellite provider DirecTV, for 30 days after their initial release, in a special section of your system’s on-demand channel.

Let’s hope that this is the first of many such ventures involving Sundance and other festivals. There is so much original and compelling filmmaking on display at these venues. And even though the festival circuit has become a major feeding ground for the studios in recent years, many films worthy of attention still end up slipping through the cracks, never being afforded the opportunity to reach a larger audience. VOD can go a long way toward remedying this.

Hit the jump to find out more about the three films that will be featured in this project, which organizers have dubbed “Direct from the Sundance Film Festival.”

2010 Sundance Film Festival Out-of-Competition Films: Premieres

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 3rd, 2009 at 2:34 pm

Yesterday we gave you a list of all the films playing in-competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.  We now have the list of the films playing out-of-competition and they’re divided up into four categories: Premieres, Next, Spotlight, and Park City at Midnight. Since combining these lists would be a lot to read for just one article, we’ve broken it up to make it easier on your eyes.  You’re welcome.

Know that while there are a lot of films playing in-competition, most of the films to get buzz will be coming from the out-of-competition categories.  First up are the premiers which include John Wells’ The Company Men starring Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner; Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini’s The Extra Man starring Katie Holmes, John C. Reilly, and Paul Dano; Get Low starring Robert Duvall and Bill Murray; Michael Winterbottom’s The Killer Inside Me starring Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, and Jessica Alba; and more.  Hit the jump to check out all of the films with brief synopsis for each.

The 2010 Sundance Film Festival will run from January 21-31^st.

Extended, Spoiler-ific Trailer for THE KILLER INSIDE ME Starring Casey Affleck

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 5th, 2009 at 12:45 pm

In 2007, Casey Affleck was a force to be reckoned with as he landed a one-two punch with “Gone Baby Gone” and “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” the latter of which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.  Affleck makes his return next summer in Michael Winterbottom’s “The Killer Inside Me,” based off Jim Thompson’s novel.  The story follows a bored, small-town cop who decides to liven up his life with a little sociopathy and murder followed by the fun of covering up his tracks.

The trailer from the American Film Market has popped up online and at nearly six-minutes long, it gives away most of the film so if you’re looking to go in cold, do not watch it.  But I’ll tell you up front that Affleck looks as charming and devious as ever.  Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Simon Baker, Ned Beatty, and Bill Pullman round out the cast but it’s clear that this is Affleck’s film and that’s why I’m excited to see this film, even if I saw the synopsis in visual form with this trailer.  It will probably vanish from the YouTube soon so if you want to catch, hit the jump and watch it now.

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