Nick Nolte

HBO Renews LUCK For Second Season

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: January 31st, 2012 at 10:40 am

The official premiere of Luck just aired this past weekend on Sunday night, but HBO is already so pleased with the series that the cable network announced today that a second season has already been ordered. Director Michael Mann and Deadwood creator David Milch delivered quite the dramatic pilot set in the world of horse racing and gambling with Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte really adding gravitas to the series, likely joining Steve Buscemi and Boardwalk Empire with Emmy nods later this year. The second season will consist of 10 episodes with production resuming at the end of next month and a premiere set sometime in January of 2013. For the full press release, hit the jump.

2012 Oscar Nominations Announced; HUGO and THE ARTIST Lead the Pack

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 24th, 2012 at 6:05 am

The nominations for the 84th Annual Academy Awards have finally been unveiled. Many of the categories have fallen in line just as most have predicted (I fared alright with my predictions, but not great), with Hugo scoring 11 nods, followed closely by The Artist with 10. The biggest surprises are War Horse and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close getting in for Best Picture, the exclusion of The Adventures of Tintin from Best Animated Feature, and The Tree of Life nabbing Best Picture and Best Director nods (hooray!). On the snub side of things, despite landing the most precursor critics awards of any other actor in the race thus far, Albert Brooks was denied a Best Supporting Actor nod for his stellar work in Drive (boo). Additionally, Tilda Swinton was overlooked for giving the best performance of the year in We Need to Talk About Kevin, and AMPAS has no love for Michael Fassbender‘s haunting work in Shame.

There’s still plenty to be happy about, as Gary Oldman has his first ever Oscar Nomination (yes, that’s right) and Melissa McCarthy is a Best Supporting Actress nominee. Hit the jump to check out the full list of nominees. The 84th Academy Awards will be presented by Billy Crystal on February 26th.

Oscars 2012: Adam Predicts the Nominees

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 21st, 2012 at 2:38 pm

As I’ve been covering awards season pretty extensively here on the site over the past few months, I figured it would be appropriate to (foolishly) try to predict the upcoming Oscar nominations. It’s been a fairly tame year, as a few frontrunners were singled out early in the race and have held their ground throughout the grueling awards season. We haven’t been without a few surprises, as Steven Spielberg’s War Horse took a massive tumble following snubs from most of the major guilds, and David Fincher has surged back into the race bringing his adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with him.

Though there are plenty of safe bets when it comes to the 2012 Oscar nominations, there are still a few wildcards and tricky categories. I’ve put on my prognosticating cap (those interested can purchase one of these nifty hats at your local Target) and compiled a list of who and what I think will make the cut. Hit the jump to see how I think the nods will stack up when they’re announced on January 24th.

2011 Screen Actors Guild Nominations Load up on Snubs and Dumb Choices

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 14th, 2011 at 7:21 am

Critics organizations have been doling out their honors for 2011 and for the most part, I feel like the nominations have been fair.  Today, the Screen Actors Guild announced their 2011 nominations and it’s Snub City (which is adjacent to Neglectedville and south of Ignoredtown).  The only nomination I really appreciate is Demian Bichir getting nominated for A Better Life.  It was a solid but underseen movie and he’s great in it.  There are some actors who I feel are more deserving of a nomination, but the guy deserves a career boost.

I can’t say the same for moronic nominations like Leonardo DiCaprio for J. Edgar, Nick Nolte for Warrior (everything he says sounds like a belch), and Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs.  The biggest snub is Albert Brooks being overlooked for Drive.  Critics’ organizations were showing him a lot of love and I’m not sure why SAG isn’t.  Other idiotic snubs include Michael Fassbender for Shame, Woody Harrelson for Rampart, Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes for Martha Marcy May Marlene, Kirsten Dunst for Melancholia, Charlize Theron for Young Adult, and Shailene Woodley for The Descendants.  Hit the jump for the list of nominations, which also include the nods for TV actors.  Winners will be announced on January 29th.

Warner Bros. Sets GANGSTER SQUAD for October 19, 2012

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 28th, 2011 at 1:25 pm

It looks like Warner Bros. believes it has an awards contender on its hands with Ruben Fleischer’s Gangster Squad.  According to Box Office Mojo, the studio has set the 1940s crime thriller for October 19, 2012.  The film is based on the true story of an Los Angeles Police Department task force whose mission was to bring down notorious mobster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn).  The impressive cast also features Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, Michael Peña, Anthony Mackie, Mireille Enos, Holt McCallany, Robert Patrick, and Giovanni Ribisi.

The other films that currently hold the 10/19/12 date are the romantic comedy The Big Wedding starring Robert De Niro and Katherine Heigl (hoo-boy) and an untitled project from Sopranos creator David Chase.

Teaser Trailer for HBO’s LUCK Starring Dustin Hoffman

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 26th, 2011 at 11:27 am

HBO has released a new trailer for David Milch and Michael Mann’s upcoming horse-gambling drama Luck.  If Milch (Deadwood) and Mann (Heat) didn’t already get you excited for the show, here’s the cast: Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte, Dennis Farina, John Ortiz, Richard Kind, Kevin Dunn, and Michael Gambon.  The main plotline focuses on as Ace Bernstain (Hoffman) a man who, after three years in prison, teams with his longtime chauffeur and muscle (Farina), to craft a complex plan involving the Santa Anita racetrack.  Of course, this is HBO where there are 3 or 4 plotlines per episode and you have to learn the names of 18 or 19 regular cast members.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  Luck premieres January 2012.

WARRIOR Review

by Bill Graham    Posted: September 9th, 2011 at 7:13 am

The performances and well-choreographed fights are the main event of Warrior, a mixed martial arts drama that delivers counter-punches to the numerous cliches that continuously crop up. Raw emotion and rare truths are explored in this flawed film helmed by writer-director Gavin O’Connor. Equal parts testosterone-filled entertainment and a story of redemption and forgiveness, Warrior has a curious based-on-a-true-story feel. The film isn’t shy about giving you a story, clocking in at 139 minutes, and it’s that devotion to plot and background that will help it cut open a broader audience than the standard fight drama. There are hurdles to overcome as an audience, but the reward is a gritty bit of truth in an unlikely and fun package. Hit the jump for my full review.

National Sneak Preview of WARRIOR This Sunday

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

Lionsgate believes in its upcoming MMA drama Warrior and they should.  I caught the film a few weeks ago and it’s surprisingly good.  It doesn’t break the mold or reinvent the genre, but it’s got strong performances, great fight scenes, and you’re basically getting two Rockys for the price of one.  The studio has been holding promo screenings for the past several weeks but now they’ve announced via press release that this Sunday they’re going to give the whole country and early look by offering a sneak preview.  Audiences will be able to buy tickets to see the film early on September 4th at 7:00 pm at theaters nationwide.  It’s not a bad way to spend a little time on Labor Day weekend.

Click here to purchase tickets and hit the jump for the trailer and synopsis.  Warrior opens September 9th.

Nick Nolte Joins GANGSTER SQUAD

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 29th, 2011 at 9:20 am

The cast of Ruben Fleischer’s crime drama Gangster Squad continues to expand its well-respected cast and the latest actor to join the squad is Nick Nolte.  According to Deadline, Nolte will play 1940s Los Angeles’ new chief of police.  The new chief hasn’t been corrupted by gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) and puts together the eponymous task force.  The film also stars Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Michael Peña, Anthony Mackie, Mireille Enos, Holt McCallany, Robert Patrick, and Giovanni Ribisi.

Nolte recently wrapped filming on Taylor Hackford’s Parker starring Jason Statham and earlier this month signed on to co-star in Robert Redford’s The Company You Keep.  He’ll be seen in theaters next Friday in the MMA drama Warrior where he gives a strong supporting performance as the estranged father of the lead characters.

Casting Call: Brit Marling and Nick Nolte THE COMPANY YOU KEEP; Matt Dillon to Co-Star in IMOGENE

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 9th, 2011 at 8:19 am

We have a couple quick casting stories to report this morning.  First up, rising star Brit Marling (Another Earth) has chosen between Robert Redford’s The Company You Keep and the Tom Cruise action flick One Shot and cast her lot with the former.  Variety reports that Marling will co-star with Redford and Shia LaBeouf in the flick which centers on a former Weather Underground militant (Redford) who goes on the run when his identity is revealed by an ambitious reporter (LaBeouf).  Nick Nolte will also star in the flick but there’s no word on what role he or Marling will play.  Marling is also committed to reunite with her Sound of My Voice director Zal Batmanglij for the thriller The East.

In other casting news, Matt Dillon will join Kristen Wiig and Annette Bening in Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini’s Imogene.  Wiig plays a playwright who fakes suicide in order to win back her ex but ends up in the custody of her Jersey Shore-esque mother (Bening).  Deadline reports that Dillon will play Bening’s love interest and “he claims to be in the CIA, but his behavior suggests he just might be crazy.”

Jesse Eisenberg to Star in Adaptation of Dostoyevsky’s THE DOUBLE, Nick Nolte Joins PARKER Starring Jason Statham

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: August 4th, 2011 at 4:26 pm

We’ve got a couple of casting stories for you this evening. First up, Jesse Eisneberg is set to star in director Richard Ayoade’s (Submarine) adaptation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novella The Double. Vulture reports that in a spot-on bit of casting, Eisenberg will take on the lead role of 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.

Additionally, Nick Nolte has joined the cast of Taylor Hackford’s revenge thriller Parker. Stars Michael Chiklis and Wendell Pierce tweeted their enthusiasm on the first day of filming, revealing Nolte’s casting (via The Playlist). Based on Donald Westlake’s series of crime novels, the film is intended to start a new franchise with the title character, this time played by Jason Statham. The cast includes Statham, Chiklis, Pierce, Jennifer Lopez and Clifton Collins Jr.

ARTHUR Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: July 4th, 2011 at 5:59 am

With the remake business, you’re already (at least usually) against a brick wall. What’s remade aren’t usually flawed films, but movies that are regarded well enough to be liked, but aren’t classics (those films are ripped off wholesale). And so there’s a remake of the 1981 Dudley Moore film Arthur thirty years later starring Russell Brand.  Why now? Probably because Brand seems like he could be a movie star, and Get Him to the Greek did good enough business. The remake (which also stars Helen Mirren, Greta Gerwig and Jennifer Garner) is about a spoiled rich kid/drunk who finds true love, but is supposed to marry someone else. It works, but almost in spite of its narrative. My review of the Blu-ray of 2011’s Arthur follows after the jump.

Robert Redford and Nick Nolte to Star in Adaptation of A WALK IN THE WOODS

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: June 1st, 2011 at 8:18 pm

Earlier today, Legendary Pictures made the officially announced development on a Jackie Robinson biopic, a project that was first reported in early April.  There is an apparent discrepancy between the initial report, which suggested Robert Redford will star as Branch Rickey, and the press release which failed to mention Redford’s name at all.  24 Frames, the source of the Redford-centric news, asked around to see if something changed since the story was sent to print.  A rep from Redford’s camp declined to comment; a Legendary spokeswoman stated, simply, there is “no casting announcement at this time.”  The outlet believes Redford is still attached, and the news will surface in a more official capacity at a later date.

In consolation, 24 Frames offers information on Redford’s next project, an adaptation of the Bill Bryson book A Walk in the Woods.  Redford first announced that he would produce and star as the fictional Bryson in A Walk in the Woods in 2005.  At the time, he longed for a Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid reunion with Paul Newman before he died in 2008.  Newman is the very definition of irreplaceable, but as far as replacements go, you can’t do much better than Nick Nolte.  Nolte is now attached to play Bryson’s friend Stephen as the two out-of-shape men venture to walk the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail.  Christopher Columbus and Barry Levinson have each been mentioned as possible directors in the past, but it’s not specified if either might return to the project.  Read the official book synopsis after the break.

Cannes Casting Call: Firth and Blunt to Star in Dark Comedy; Holmes to Star in RESPONSIBLE ADULTS; Quaid Joins THE WORDS; 4 Board IDEA IN AMERICA

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

As the Cannes Film Festival heats up, plenty of casting deals are getting done.  We’ve combined some of the latest casting stories into one handy article for your viewing pleasure.  First up, Colin Firth and Emily Blunt have signed on to star in a dark comedy from director Dante Ariola and written by Becky Johnston.  According to Deadline, “Firth plays a man who hates his job and is hated by his ex-wife and son. Feeling he missed his one shot at living the dream, he fakes his death and buys a new identity. Along the way he meets a woman (Blunt) who is also trying to leave her past behind. The pair break into empty homes and pose as the absent owners. The two find a kindship despite all the lying.”  I’m a little giddy at the thought of Firth and Blunt playing off each other so hopefully we’ll see this project sooner rather than later.

Hit the jump for more casting news regarding Katie Holmes, Chase Crawford, Dennis Quaid, Orlando Bloom, Nick Nolte, Stanley Tucci, and Cristiana Capotondi.

HBO Debuts In Production Featurette for Michael Mann’s LUCK Starring Dustin Hoffman

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: April 18th, 2011 at 9:01 am

The cable network just premiered their brand new spectacular fantasy series Game of Thrones last night (read my review here), but HBO is already giving us a taste of another new series in their future. The network recently premiered a short featurette on the horse racing series Luck starring Dustin Hoffman with a pilot directed by Michael Mann (Collateral). The series takes a provocative look at horse racing including the owners, gamblers, jockeys and diverse gaming industry players.

Once again, with little effort, HBO has me interested in yet another one of their new drama series. And with a cast that also includes Joan Allen, Michael Gambon, Dennis Farina, John Ortiz, Kevin Dunn, Richard Kind, Jason Gedrick, Ritchie Coster, Ian Hart, Tom Payne, Kerry Condon, Gary Stevens, and Nick Nolte, this should be something worth seeing down the road. Check out the featurette after the jump for your first look at Luck.

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