Tom Wilkinson

Director John Madden Talks THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, Capturing the Essence of India and Directing the Pilot for Showtime’s MASTERS OF SEX

by Christina Radish    Posted: May 2nd, 2012 at 7:18 pm

The dramedy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, from acclaimed and accomplished director John Madden, follows seven retirees from the U.K. in need of a transformation, who find themselves spending their golden years at a rundown hotel that does not quite live up to the lush amenities pictured in the brochure.  The hotel’s naive young owner, Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel), inherited the once sophisticated building from his father, hoping to turn it into a high-end luxury hotel.  Instead, the water and electricity are iffy at best, and India’s overwhelming contrasts are both intoxicating and frightening for these seven newcomers, who are unsure about what the future might hold.  The film stars Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Ronald Pickup and Celia Imrie.

During this recent exclusive interview with Collider, director John Madden talked about why this premise was so attractive to him, determining what aspects of India to capture, the fact that he didn’t anticipate quite how much this entire experience would change everyone involved with making the film, and assembling such an incredibly talented cast.  He also talked about what attracted him to directing the pilot for the Showtime drama series Masters of Sex, about Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan), the pioneers of the science of human sexuality whose research touched off the sexual revolution.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Exclusive Poster Debut for THE SAMARITAN Starring Samuel L. Jackson

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 27th, 2012 at 9:19 am

We are pleased to debut an exclusive poster for the crime thriller The Samaritan starring Samuel L. Jackson.  In the movie, Jackson plays a paroled con man who wants to build a new life, but gets sucked back into the con game by his ex-partner’s scheming son.  I like the simple color scheme of the poster, and who isn’t entranced by Jackson pointing guns at things?

Hit the jump to check out the poster.  The film also stars Ruth Negga, Luke Kirby, and Tom Wilkinson. The Samaritan will be available on VOD and Digital outlets (iTunes, SundanceNOW, Amazon Streaming, XBOX Zune) on April 6th, and hit theaters on May 16th.

Production Begins on THE LONE RANGER Starring Johnny Depp; First Synopsis Revealed

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 28th, 2012 at 11:13 am

After a rough pre-production period, filming is finally underway on Oscar-winner Gore Verbinski‘s adaptation of The Lone Ranger.  More importantly, Disney has released the first synopsis for the movie.  It’s not big on details, but the gist is that Tonto (Johnny Depp) talks about how he teamed up with John Reid (aka the Lone Ranger; played by Armie Hammer) and how they bonded during their adventures.  It’s an origin story/buddy movie, and that seems like a fine approach to the material.  The devil is in the details, but we shouldn’t expect on hearing those for quite some time.

Hit the jump for the press release which includes the full text of the synopsis.  The film also stars Tom Wilkinson, William Fichtner, Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale, Ruth Wilson, and Helena Bonham Carter.  The Lone Ranger opens May 31, 2013.

THE DEBT Blu-ray Review

by Rob Wieland    Posted: January 3rd, 2012 at 7:00 am

Tis the season for dead drops and tricked out gadgets. 2011 is ending with a bang thanks to a few big name spy movies coming out at the end of the year Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is a perfect fit for the action junkies.  Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy appeals to those looking for more double crosses and trust issues.  Another spy film just hit DVD and Blu-Ray from earlier in the year. The Debt comes packed with big-name English actors, an Academy Award winning director and a story that spans three decades. Is it worth accepting this mission? Check out our review after the jump.

Tom Wilkinson and Ruth Wilson Return to THE LONE RANGER; Movie Trying to Reassemble Supporting Cast

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 7th, 2011 at 9:10 am

Earlier this summer, Gore Verbinksi‘s adaptation of The Lone Ranger was rounding up its cast.  Johnny Depp was signed on to play Tonto, Armie Hammer was playing the Ranger, and the movie was lining up Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson (Luther), Dwight Yoakam, Barry Pepper, and Helena Bonham Carter for supporting roles.  But then Disney pumped the brakes and wanted a lower budget, they eventually got it after some protracted negotiations, and now pre-production is back underway.

However, this delay moved back the start of production which meant that scheduling had changed for the actors.  Depp and Hammer never really left, and now it looks like Verbinski is trying to get his other actors back.  Deadline reports that Wilkinson has returned to play the villain Latham Cole while Wilson is still playing the movie’s female lead.  Disney is talking again with Carter, Pepper, and Yoakam as well as James Badge Dale.  Production on the $215 million cowboy movie begins in February 2012 for a May 31, 2013 release.

17 New Images and 5 Set Photos from MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 22nd, 2011 at 9:28 am

Paramount has released 17 new images and 5 set photos from Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.  The images show off spy-thriller shenanigans and director Brad Bird directing up a storm of spy-thriller shenanigans.  And as you can see from the image above, Tom Cruise is probably contemplating if it’s unreasonable to demand full bars if you’re in a cloud of debris.

Hit the jump to check out the images.  The film also stars Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Josh Holloway, Michael Nyqvist, Lea Seydoux, and Tom Wilkinson. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol opens in IMAX on December 16th and goes wide on December 21st.  If you see it in 70mm IMAX, you’ll also get see the prologue for The Dark Knight Rises.

New Trailer for MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL; Plus Reaction to IMAX Footage

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: October 27th, 2011 at 4:46 pm

A new trailer for Brad Bird’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol has been released. The fourth installment in the espionage franchise finds Ethan Hunt and his new team going undercover to clear their organization’s name. If you missed the featurette we posted earlier showcasing Tom Cruise hanging off the tallest building in the world, click here to check it out.

Hit the jump to watch the new trailer. The film also stars Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Josh Holloway, Michael Nyqvist, and Tom Wilkinson. Previews for Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol begin in select IMAX and conventional theaters on December 16th, with the film opening wide on December 21st.

First Trailer and Poster for THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: September 15th, 2011 at 1:56 pm

In case you haven’t had your fill of trailers today, we’ve got yet another one for you: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love), the film centers on a group of retirees who decide to spend their retirement at a luxurious resort in India, only to find that the actual structure isn’t exactly what they were expecting. The trailer actually looks pretty good, bolstered by a stellar ensemble of British actors including Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith, and Dev Patel. Some of the humor is a bit easy, but there’s actually a hint of the balance between drama and comedy that Madden perfected with Shakespeare in Love.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel opens March 9th, 2012.

THE DEBT Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 31st, 2011 at 7:00 am

This has been Jessica Chastain’s year as far as ubiquity goes.  She’s co-starred in The Tree of Life, The Help, Take Shelter, and she’s still got Texas Killing Fields and Coriolanus on the way.  However, of the films I’ve seen her in so far, she’s never been front and center.  She was overshadowed by Brad Pitt in Tree of Life, everything was overshadowed by Michael Shannon in Take Shelter, and she did a fine job in The Help hinting that she was the real deal.  But her latest film, The Debt, gives her the lead and she’s never able to hold the screen with any intensity or subtlety.  She’s once again overshadowed by her fellow actors and this time around she must struggle with a movie that tries to be an intense spy-thriller and ignores its strengths as a claustrophobic pressure-cooker and thoughtful moral drama.

Djimon Hounsou is the Angel of Death in PARADISE LOST Opposite Bradley Cooper, Tom Wilkinson Joins LITTLE BOY

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: August 22nd, 2011 at 3:28 pm

We’ve got a couple of casting stories for you this afternoon. First up, Djimon Hounsou has joined the cast of Alex Proyas’ adaptation of John Milton’s classic epic poem Paradise Lost. The film has Bradley Cooper and Benjamin Walker (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) set to star as Lucifer and the archangel Michael, respectively. Variety reports that Hounsou will take on the role of Abdiel, the angel of death. The story revolves around the epic battle between Michael and Lucifer and Proyas will be utilizing motion capture and 3D in the adaptation. Paradise Lost is targeting a late 2013 release.

Additionally, Tom Wilkinson is in talks to join the cast of Alejandro Monteverde’s (Bella) historical drama Little Boy. The WWII-set story revolves around an 8-year-old boy with developmental problems who is left vulnerable to the cruelty of his classmates when his father, his only friend, leaves to go to war. Variety reports that Wilkinson will join a cast that includes Ben Chaplin, Emily Watson, David Henrie and possibly Kevin James (yes, that Kevin James), though his name is conspicuously absent from the trade’s report. Nevertheless, Little Boy is currently filming in Baja California.

6 Clips from THE DEBT Starring Sam Worthington and Helen Mirren

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: August 18th, 2011 at 10:28 am

With director John Madden’s (Shakespeare in Love) The Debt finally getting released August 31, Focus Features has provided us with six clips from the film.  The reason I say finally, is that Focus acquired the flick from Miramax, so it’s release date was pushed back from last year.  Starring Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, and Ciaran Hinds as older versions of the characters played by Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington, and Marton Csokas, The Debt is about three retired Mossad secret agents and what happened to them in the past.  From what I understand, the film cuts back and forth between 1966 and 1997, which is the reason you have two actors playing the same character.  Hit the jump to watch the clips.

Tom Wilkinson in Talks to Join THE LONE RANGER

by Jason Barr    Posted: June 22nd, 2011 at 6:55 pm

Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton) is in talks to join Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s adaptation of The Lone Ranger. Per Variety, the two-time Oscar nominee would take on the “prominent” role of a railroad tycoon. If the deal goes through, Wilkinson would join a cast that already includes Armie Hammer in the title slot and Johnny Depp as his sidekick, Tonto. Gore Verbinski (Rango) is directing the pic which is scheduled to begin shooting after Depp finishes Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows adaptation and Hammer wraps Tarsem Singh’s (Immortals) untitled Snow White pic alongside Julia Roberts.

The Lone Ranger script comes courtesy of Ted Elliot, Terry Rossio, and Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road). In addition to his potential role in Lone Ranger, the usually excellent Wilkinson can next be seen alongside Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington in director John Madden’s (Shakespeare in Love) drama/thriller The Debt which is due out on August 31st. The thesp also signed on to join Samuel L. Jackson in the indie thriller The Samaritan back in April.

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.

Tom Wilkinson Joins Samuel L. Jackson in THE SAMARITAN

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: April 11th, 2011 at 9:21 pm

Tom Wilkinson is set to join Samuel L. Jackson in The Samaritan, an independent thriller directed by David Weaver.  Jackson stars as a former grifter who, when released from prison after a 20-year sentence, wants to live as a law-abiding citizen: “Complications arise when the son of his former partner asks him for help with an ingenious plan.”  Variety reports Wilkinson will play a crime boss who “becomes ensnared in a grift with far-reaching consequences.”  Luke Kirby and Ruth Negga also star.

Weaver co-wrote the script with Elan Mastai (Alone in the Dark).  The Samaritan is currently filming in Toronto before transporting to Rio de Janiero later this month.  Anonymous Content is targeting an early 2012 release.

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.

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