Steven Soderbergh

Rooney Mara Replaces Blake Lively in Steven Soderbergh’s SIDE EFFECTS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 30th, 2012 at 7:39 am

Last week, we reported that Steven Sodebergh‘s psychopharmacology thriller Side Effects might lose lead actress Blake Lively because financier Annapurna Pictures didn’t like her in the role.  Actresses rumored to replace Lively included Rooney Mara, Michelle Williams, Emily Blunt, and Imogen Poots.  Today, Deadline reports that Mara will play the role of “a troubled young woman who develops a dangerous love triangle between her doctor (Law) and her newly paroled husband (Tatum).”  The film also stars Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Filming on Side Effects is set to begin in April.  The only other role she’s taken since her breakthrough (and now Oscar-nominated) performance in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is in Terrence Malick’s Lawless co-starring Ryan Gosling.  The Girl Who Played with Fire is slowly moving through the pipeline, but it won’t start shooting until the end of 2012/beginning of 2013 at the earliest.

Steven Soderbergh’s SIDE EFFECTS Gains Catherine Zeta-Jones But Loses Financing; Stars Blake Lively, Jude Law, and Channing Tatum May Move On

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: January 24th, 2012 at 8:27 pm

Before tonight, we knew a few things about the “psychopharmacology thriller” that Steven Soderbergh and his Contagion writer Scott Z. Burns are developing:

• The title is either The Side Effects or The Bitter Pill.
• Blake Lively, Jude Law, and Channing Tatum form the three corners of the love triangle at the center of the tense plot.
• Annapurna is financing.  Open Road is distributing.

A lot has changed.  First the addition: Catherine Zeta-Jones joined the cast.  Now the subtraction: the latest reports omit the article, referring to the project as just Side Effects.  More notably, Annapurna has pulled out of the project, which puts the involvement of the aforementioned cast in jeopardy.  More after the jump:

Channing Tatum Talks HAYWIRE, Soderbergh, MAGIC MIKE, MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., THE BITTER PILL, FOXCATCHER, and More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: January 19th, 2012 at 9:38 pm

With director Steven Soderbergh’s spy-action pic Haywire opening tomorrow, I recently got to speak with most of the cast about making the movie.  Starring MMA fighter Gina Carano as a burned spy who takes revenge against her handlers, Haywire also stars Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Angarano, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, and Bill Paxton.  I’ve seen Haywire twice now and it’s fantastic.  On top of Carano’s star-making performance, the action scenes are some of the best I’ve seen in years.   It’s absolutely something you should see in a theater.

During the press junket I got to speak to Channing Tatum twice.  The first time we just talked about Haywire. However, the second time we covered a ton of other topics like what the last year has been like for him, his relationship with Soderbergh, how Magic Mike came together and it’s rating, what it was like working with Matthew McConaughey, and what happened to The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. In addition, Tatum revealed he has a small part in Soderbergh’s next picture, The Bitter Pill (which might now be called The Side Effects), and we ended talking about Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher - which he might star in with Steve Carell. It’s a crazy sounding movie.  Hit the jump to watch.

HAYWIRE Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 19th, 2012 at 3:01 pm

Men are taught (or at least they should be taught) to never hit a woman.  The lesson is based on the assumption that women are physically weaker and don’t have the strength to defend themselves (also, hitting people isn’t very nice in general).  But what if the woman can not only hit back, but her job is to hit back and she knows how to hit back harder than anyone?  In Steven Soderbergh‘s Haywire, mercenary Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) is that woman, and Soderbergh is unapologetic about having her hit in return.  The film forces us to confront our convictions about the fragility of women, and where that belief comes from.  Is the movie a blow for equality in showing that women can take and dish out a beating like a man?  Is a woman’s physicality always sexual?  Haywire doesn’t have easy answers to these questions, but it has no problem asking them under the cover of a badass European flavored action-thriller.

First Trailer for Film vs. Digital Doc SIDE BY SIDE Featuring Interviews with Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, and More

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 18th, 2012 at 5:12 pm

A little over a week ago, a curious little documentary was announced called Side by Side. The project, spearheaded by Keanu Reeves, features interviews with a number of master filmmakers regarding the film vs. digital debate. Now the first trailer for the film has popped up and Side by Side is officially one of my most anticipated movies of 2012. The trailer showcases Reeves having candid conversations about the death of film (and the advent of 3D) with people like George Lucas, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, and Steven Soderbergh. It looks incredibly intriguing, and I can’t wait to hear today’s foremost filmmakers weigh in on the future of moviemaking.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. Side by Side will be released sometime this year.

CONTAGION Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: January 14th, 2012 at 6:00 am

You never know what you’re going to get with Steven Soderbergh. He’s a chameleon, someone just as happy to do a project that cost ten dollars as a hundred million. And he likes to work. Even though he’s mentioned retirement, Contagion came out in September theatrically, and four months later his Haywire is coming out. Contagion stars Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard and Jennifer Ehle in what amounts to a disaster film about a new virus that starts a pandemic. It may also be the best disaster film ever made. Our review of Contagion on Blu-ray follows after the jump.

Watch the First 5 Minutes of Steven Soderbergh’s HAYWIRE

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 10th, 2012 at 11:33 am

It’s safe to say that Steven Soderbergh’s action pic Haywire looks fantastically badass. Both Brendan and I chose it as one of our most anticipated films of 2012’s first quarter, and now the first five minutes of the film are online for your viewing pleasure. While I’ve refrained from watching it as I’d like to go into the movie fresh, if you’re on the fence about the pic I highly suggest you check it out. They showed the first trailer at last year’s Comic-Con and I wasn’t too impressed, but immediately afterward Soderbergh screened a fight sequence between star/MMA fighter Gina Carano and Michael Fassbender that blew me away. Among the wealth of movie goods we were privy to at Comic-Con, that fight has stuck with me and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the film plays out.

Hit the jump to check out the clip. The film also stars Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas, and Bill Paxton. Haywire opens January 20th.

Keanu Reeves Documentary SIDE BY SIDE Tackles Film vs. Digital Debate; Includes Interviews with Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, and David Fincher

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 9th, 2012 at 11:10 am

A curious little website has popped up announcing a new documentary produced by Keanu Reeves that tackles one of the foremost issues facing filmmakers today: the advent of digital filmmaking. Entitled Side by Side, the documentary takes an in-depth look at the issue of film vs. digital, and “examines all aspects of filmmaking – from capture, to edit, to visual effects, to color correction, to distribution to archive.” Through interviews with numerous well-respected masters of the medium, Side by Side “explores what has been gained, what is lost and what the future might bring.” Take this sample quote from Christopher Nolan:

“No credible source really has been claiming to have invented something that is aesthetically superior to film at this point.”

The documentary will feature Reeves interviewing filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Lana and Andy Wachowski, George Lucas, James Cameron, Steven Soderbergh, and many more. Hit the jump for more details.

Blake Lively, Jude Law, and Channing Tatum to Star in Steven Soderbergh’s THE SIDE EFFECTS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 9th, 2012 at 9:34 am

In Novemeber, we reported that Steven Soderbergh had left the adaptation of the 1960s spy TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and turned his attention to The Bitter Pill with Scott Z. Burns (The Informant) writing the screenplay.  The Playlist now reports that the film—now titled The Side Effects—has locked down financing and cast Blake Lively, Jude Law, and Channing Tatum in the lead roles.  Lively will play, “Emily Hawkins, a woman who turns to prescription meds to cope with the anxiety of the upcoming release from prison of her husband.”  Tatum will play the husband and Jude Law will play Hawkins’ new psychiatrist.  This will be Lively’s first film with Soderbergh, but it will be Tatum’s third collaboration with the director (Haywire and Magic Mike) and Law’s second (Contagion).

Hit the jump for more.

3 Movie Clips and 37 Images from Steven Soderbergh’s HAYWIRE

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: January 7th, 2012 at 6:00 pm

With director Steven Soderbergh’s spy-action pic Haywire opening January 20th, we’ve been provided with three clips and almost forty images from the film.  Staring MMA fighter Gina Carano as a burned spy who takes revenge against her handlers, Haywire also stars Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Angarano, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, and Bill Paxton.

I’ve seen Haywire twice now and it’s fantastic.  On top of Carano’s star in the making performance, the action scenes are some of the best I’ve seen in years.   It’s absolutely something you should see in a theater.  Hit the jump for the clips and images and look for my exclusive video interviews with the cast next week.

New Trailer for Steven Soderbergh’s HAYWIRE Starring Gina Carano

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 4th, 2012 at 4:25 pm

A new trailer for director Steven Soderbergh’s spy-action pic Haywire has gone online. The movie centers on a burned spy (MMA fighter Gina Carano) who takes revenge against her handlers. Soderbergh has surrounded Carano with a stellar ensemble of familiar faces (including Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, and Michael Douglas), and the action scenes here look absolutely brutal. This new trailer delves a bit more into the plot, and it’s actually a tad spoiler-heavy by way of revealing a couple of the deaths that take place onscreen. Soderbergh’s an incredibly interesting director, and I’m intrigued to see how he handles a film this action-heavy  so it’s safe to say I’m anticipating Haywire quite a bit.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. The film also stars Channing Tatum, Michael Angarano, Antonio Banderas, and Bill Paxton. Haywire opens January 20th.

First Image and Official Synopsis for Steven Soderbergh’s MAGIC MIKE Starring Matthew McConaughey, Channing Tatum and Joe Mangianello

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: December 25th, 2011 at 12:18 pm

Warner Bros. has released the first official image and synopsis for director Steven Soderbergh‘s male stripper movie, Magic Mike.  The film stars the perpetually shirtless Matthew McConaughey along with Alex Pettyfer, Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Joe Mangianello, Olivia Munn, Riley Keough, Cody Horn, and Adam Rodriguez.  For those unaware, Magic Mike is based on Tatum’s real life experiences as a 19-year-old stripper, and tells “a story of friendship set in the world of male strippers.” Here’s what Soderbergh had to say about the project:

“When Channing talked to me about this, I thought it was one of the best ideas I’d ever heard for a movie. I said I wanted in immediately. It’s sexy, funny and shocking. We’re using Saturday Night Fever as our model, so hopefully we’re on the right track.”

Hit the jump for more.

Summit in Talks to Produce Steven Soderbergh’s THE BITTER PILL

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 6th, 2011 at 6:35 pm

While it seemed as though Steven Soderbergh would have a pretty big hole in his schedule after dropping out of directing The Man from U.N.C.L.E. over casting disputes with Warner Bros., the director quickly moved on to a brand new project called The Bitter Pill. Soderbergh has slotted the film as his next project, and now it looks as though he’s found a studio. Deadline reports that Summit Entertainment is in final negotiations to make a green light commitment to the film. Described as a “psychopharmacology thriller” in the vein of Basic Instinct or Jagged Edge, the film centers on “a troubled and depressed woman who is taking serious amounts of prescription drugs to deal with the anxiety surrounding the pending release of her husband from prison.”

Frequent Soderbergh collaborator Scott Z. Burns (The Informant!, Contagion) wrote the script, and he described it as dealing with people and their moods, saying “It’s about how we as a society can’t tolerate sadness and what that makes us vulnerable to.” The Soderbergh-Burns collaborations thus far as proven fruitful, and I’m onboard for pretty much anything the versatile filmmaker decides to tackle. After Pill he’ll move on to his final film before retirement/sabbatical, the Liberace biopic The Man Behind the Candelabra.

Steven Sodebergh Swallows THE BITTER PILL

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 29th, 2011 at 1:08 pm

Less than two weeks ago we reported that Steven Soderbergh had left the adaptation of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and now (as expected) he’s already picked up a new project.  Heat Vision reports that Soderbergh has signed on to direct The Bitter Pill, and is pitching the project to multiple studios.  U.N.C.L.E. screenwriter Scott Z. Burns penned the script, but not much is known about the story other than it’s “a thriller set in the world of psychopharmacology.”  That may sound bizarre, but keep in mind that Soderbergh turned the story about a price-fixing investigation into a comedy with The Informant! [Update: Burns tells The Playlist that the movie "deals with people and their moods. It’s about how we as a society can’t tolerate sadness and what that makes us vulnerable to."  I thought "psychopharmacology thriller" was good, but Burns makes the movie sound even better.]

Presumably, Soderbergh will want to shoot Bitter Pill in the spring since he’s shooting his Liberace biopic, Behind the Candelabra, in the summer and that will be his last movie before retiring/going on sabbatical.  Soderbergh’s next film, Haywire, is due out January 20th, and his male-stripper movie, Magic Mike, will likely be released in summer 2012.

Steven Soderbergh Will No Longer Direct THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 18th, 2011 at 6:30 am

Director Steven Soderbergh has exited the adaptation of the 1960s spy TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Soderbergh had been developing the project since 2010 with screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, but The Playlist is reporting that the Oscar-winning director and Warner Bros. couldn’t come to an agreement over casting and budget.  You’ll recall that back in August, George Clooney passed on the lead role and the casting process has been drawn out ever since.  Actors mentioned for the lead include Bradley Cooper, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ryan Gosling, Alexander Skarsgard, Joel Edgerton, and earlier this week we heard Channing Tatum was in the mix (i.e. the usual suspects of young actors who don’t care hefty price tags like Clooney or Matt Damon, who was also considered for the lead, but passed because it conflicted with production on his directing debut).

However, Warner Bros. only wanted to provide $60 million for the first in what was supposed to be a spy franchise for the studio, and Soderbergh reportedly felt that the number was too low, the casting process was taking too long, and he couldn’t put everything together for a March shooting date.  Hit the jump for more on the now-defunct movie.

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