Robert Redford

MARGIN CALL Director J.C. Chandor to Helm Drama ALL IS LOST; Robert Redford in Talks to Star

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 15th, 2011 at 6:50 pm

How’s this for a success story: after making his feature directorial debut with the low-budget financial crisis drama Margin Call, director J.C. Chandor is set to helm a man vs. nature drama as his follow-up and legendary actor-director Robert Redford is in talks to star. Deadline reports that Chandor will next direct All Is Lost, a drama that mainly focuses on a single character and takes place on the water. The film is described as a “one man show” in which the lead braves the elements in order to survive. Chandor premiered Margin Call this past January at the Sundance Film Festival, and the writer-director was apparently so taken with the festival’s founder Redford that he wrote All Is Lost just for him.

I’ve yet to see Margin Call but I’m intrigued by this success story. It’ll be interesting to see how Chandor sets the film apart from the similarly plotted Cast Away. They’ve apparently scouted Baja Film Studios in Mexico as a possible filming location. James Cameron and Michael Bay have both previously used the studio for Titanic and Pearl Harbor, respectively, obviously (though one wonders what James Cameron’s Pearl Harbor and Michael Bay’s Titanic would have looked like), and it’s a prime location for extended water shoots. Zachary Quinto’s Before the Door will produce and they hope to start filming by next May.

Stanley Tucci and Chris Cooper Join Robert Redford’s THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: September 13th, 2011 at 9:47 am

Robert Redford has assembled quite the cast for his next directorial effort, and he’s just added two more terrific thesps to the roster: Stanley Tucci and Chris Cooper. The Company You Keep. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Neal Gordon, and centers on a former Weather Underground militant who goes on the run after an ambitious young journalist exposes his true identity. Redford will play the militant, while Shia LaBeouf is set as the young reporter.

Screen Daily (via The Playlist) reports that Tucci will play LaBeouf’s editor, while Cooper will take on the role of Redford’s brother who is forced to take his niece in when Redford’s character goes into hiding. In addition to Redford and LaBeouf, the cast now includes Susan Sarandon, Nick Nolte, Brit Marling, Julie Christie and Richard Jenkins. Filming is set to begin soon in Vancouver. Hit the jump to read a synopsis of Gordon’s novel.

Susan Sarandon, Julie Christie and Richard Jenkins Join Robert Redford’s THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: August 11th, 2011 at 5:02 pm

Robert Redford continues to fill out the cast for his next directorial project, as Susan Sarandon, Julie Christie and Richard Jenkins are the latest to join The Company You Keep. Redford will direct and star in the film that also features Shia LaBeouf, and recent additions Nick Nolte and Brit Marling. Based on the novel of the same name by Neal Gordon, the story centers on a wanted former Weather Underground militant (Redford) who goes on the run after an ambitious young reporter (LaBeouf) exposes his true identity.

Deadline reports that Sarandon and Christie play ex-Weather Underground members, while Jenkins will play a college professor who is a link to other members in hiding. While the cast is pretty great, I’m hoping Redford tries a decidedly less heavy-handed approach than his last directorial projects. Hit the jump to read a synopsis of the novel.

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.”

Shia LaBeouf Joins Robert Redford’s THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 19th, 2011 at 2:28 pm

Shia LaBeouf will star opposite Robert Redford in the political drama The Company You Keep.  Redford will direct from a script by Lem Dobbs (The Limey) based on the novel by Neil Gordon.  Per Variety, “Redford will play a former Weather Underground militant wanted by the FBI for 30 years who must go on the run when a young, ambitious reporter exposes his true identity. LaBeouf will play the budding journalist who’s determined to make a name for himself.”  Since the film revolves around an obvious political subtext, I expect Redford will be as clumsily condescending and pedantic as he was with Lions for Lambs and The Conspirator.

Earlier this year, LaBeouf was filming on John Hillcoat’s Prohibition-era drama The Wettest County in the World.  He’s also been linked to the Vietnam War drama Pinkville, the historical comedy/drama  College Republicans, and adaptations of Joe Hill’s Horns and John Grisham’s The Associate.

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.

THE CONSPIRATOR Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 15th, 2011 at 7:06 am

Robert Redford is an activist and that’s all well and good, but he’s awful at balancing his political viewpoints with storytelling.  His previous film, Lions for Lambs, was a pedantic, simpleminded bore.  With his latest film, The Conspirator, Redford at least has the courtesy to provide a story, but it may as well be prefaced with “Hi, I’m Robert Redford.  I’m going to give you an allegory for how we treat military detainees.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go back to my other job as worn leather.”  Despite solid performances and the promise of a complex narrative, Redford undermines his message of “Justice for All” by making the criminal a victim.

Robert Redford Returns to Baseball in Brian Helgeland’s Branch Rickey Biopic

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 6th, 2011 at 4:17 pm

You know who apparently doesn’t get enough credit in Jackie Robinson’s story about breaking the color barrier in baseball?  White guy Branch Rickey.  Because it’s not simply enough to give credit to an African-American who risked his life to play the great American pastime, Brian Helgeland (A Knight’s Tale) will write and direct a biopic about Rickey, an executive who made the brave decision to sign Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945.  24 Frames reports that Robert Redford who starred in the 1984 baseball drama The Natural, will play Rickey in a role I’m fairly certain will be preachy and simplistic.

Hit the jump for more on Redford’s participation and why this project makes me cringe.

Sundance London Film Festival is Launching in April 2012

by Jackson Cresswell    Posted: March 15th, 2011 at 12:16 pm

Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute and Europe’s AEG Entertainment group have teamed up to bring the Sundance Film Festival to London’s O2 district next year.   The Sundance Film Festival, America’s largest and most successful indie film expo, will head across the pond from April 26-29, three months after the festival’s annual run in Park City, Utah.

Redford says of the move, “It is our mutual goal to bring to the U.K., the very best in current American independent cinema, to introduce the artists responsible for it, and in essence help build a picture of our country that is broadly reflective of the diversity of voices not always seen in our cultural exports.”

For more info on Sundance: London, hit the jump.

First Posters for ONE DAY and THE CONSPIRATOR

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: February 14th, 2011 at 8:40 pm

Focus Features recently moved One Day up to July 8, which I quickly marked on my calendar.  As directed by Lone Scherfig (An Education), Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess are sure to charm in this high-concept romance: two friends who meet on the night of their college graduation and proceed to meet exactly once each year on July 15 for the next two decades.  It sounds very Blue Valentine, and this washed-out One Day poster does not seem concerned with such comparison.

The Conspirator perhaps boasts an even greater pedigree: Robert Redford directs Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson, and Kevin Kline in the tale of Mary Surratt, the woman who was charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  View the first posters for both One Day and The Conspirator after the jump.

Sundance 2011: Jeremy Piven Exclusive Video Interview I MELT WITH YOU; Plus an ENTOURAGE Update and Reminisces About SINGLES

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: January 28th, 2011 at 12:31 pm

I’m a huge fan of Jeremy Piven.  Whether it be his outstanding work on HBO’s Entourage, or his small but memorable roles in films like Smokin’ Aces, The Kingdom, and Cameron Crowe’s Singles, Piven is a tornado of energy that you always remember.  So when I heard that he was going to be at Sundance to promote director Mark Pellington’s I Melt With You (which he stars in along with Thomas Jane, Rob Lowe, Christian McKay and Carla Gugino), I made sure to land an interview.  Thankfully, my request went through and the other day I spent about ten minutes talking with him at the Bing Bar on Main Street.

During the interview we talked about what drew him to the project, who he plays and what the film is about, how he prepares, discusses the independent spirit of Sundance and how Robert Redford is one of his heroes, improv, reminisces about his early work in Cameron Crowe’s Singles and how it connected him to Eddie Vedder, and we ended the interview talked about the last season of Entourage and he says the next (last) season starts to film in April.  Hit the jump to watch:

Trailer for Robert Redford’s Lincoln Assassination Film THE CONSPIRATOR

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 26th, 2011 at 3:36 pm

With this being Sundance week and all, what better time than now to premiere the trailer for Robert Redford’s new film The Conspirator? (In case you live under a rock, Redford acquired the festival in 1985 and has been spearheading it ever since). Directed by Redford, the period film tells the story of Mary Surratt, the female who was charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the aftermath that followed her arrest.  The film boasts a wildly impressive cast including Robin Wright as Surratt, James McAvoy, Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson, Kevin Kline, Stephen Root, Justin Long, Danny Huston and Jonathan Groff. The film is set to be released this April. Hit the jump to watch the trailer.

Kevin Kline Exclusive Interview – THE EXTRA MAN Star On His Goal To “Stop Acting,” John Cleese’s Influence, Working With Muppets, and a Lot More

by Ron Messer    Posted: August 15th, 2010 at 2:06 pm

Kevin Kline is misunderstood.  His performances on stage and screen over the past four decades are so seamless that audiences often attribute his characters’ traits to him.  That is, of course, a tricky proposition that he observes with a healthy dose of humor.

Kline mused on the topic and several more in an interview leading up to the release of The Extra Man, which opened in several major markets this weekend as part of its continued national rollout.  Hit the jump for the audio and transcript, along with tales of his love for Ricky Gervais, why he’d never run for President and John Cleese’s humorous take on Kline’s performance in The Big Chill.

Kevin Kline Interview THE EXTRA MAN

by Jake Lasker    Posted: July 29th, 2010 at 1:07 pm

Last month I was invited to participate in a roundtable interview with Academy Award winning actor Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda) to discuss his upcoming film The Extra Man. Kline stars as an eccentric (and unsuccessful) playwright who rents the spare room in his New York City apartment out to an aspiring journalist (Paul Dano) who is new to the city. As they develop a relationship, Kline teaches Dano how to be an “extra man” – getting paid to accompany elderly widows to social events. Kline is hilarious in the role and was just as funny in person.

In our interview, Kline talked about how he became involved with the project, his notoriously bad driving, running into Jeremy Irons during shooting, public urination, working with his family, and his upcoming role in Robert Redford’s the Conspirator. To see what Kline had to say, continue reading. The Extra Man hits theaters this Friday, July 30.

Toby Kebbell Video Interview THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE; Plus Updates on THE VETERAN and Redford’s THE CONSPIRATOR

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: July 11th, 2010 at 8:28 pm

While many of you might not recognize Toby Kebbell’s name, you’ve probably seen his work.  That’s because in Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla, Kebbell was amazing as Johnny Quid.  Also, Kebbell was great in Anton Corbijn’s Control as he played Rob Gretton and he was in Disney’s Prince of Persia as he played Garsiv.

At any rate, I was able to recently interview Kebbell as he’s in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (which opens this Wednesday) and during the interview we talked about being in two big summer movies, how does he prepare for his roles, he tells me some great stories about how he got ready for RocknRolla, plus he discussed The Veteran and Robert Redford’s The Conspirator, as he plays John Wilkes Booth.  Hit the jump to check it out:

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