We got our first look at Naomi Watts as Princess Diana in the real-life feature Diana earlier this summer, and now a couple of new images from the film have surfaced.  Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall), the story focuses on the final two years of the late princess’ life, specifically centering on her secret affair with heart surgeon Dr. Hasnat Kahn, played by Naveen Andrews (Lost).  We get a look at both characters in these images, and I’m interested to see how the incredibly talented Watts tackles the portrayal of such a beloved figure.

Hit the jump to take a look at the images.  The film also stars Douglas Hodge and Juliet Stevenson and is expected to hit theaters sometime next year.

The gangster drama Killing Them Softly, adapted from the George V. Higgins novel Cogan’s Trade, tells the story of Frankie (Scott McNairy), a broke young crook who’s fresh out of jail, and Russell (Ben Mendelsohn), an Australian junkie who makes a living stealing dogs, who are recruited to steal from a mob-protected card game that’s run by Markie (Ray Liotta).  But, even though their plan seems foolproof, the mob feels otherwise and brings in seasoned enforcer Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt) to send a message.  From writer/director Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), the film also stars James Gandolfini, Richard Jenkins, Sam Shepard and Vincent Curatola.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, filmmaker Andrew Dominik talked about what he most connected with in this story, how he approached adapting it for the screen, why he wanted Brad Pitt for the film, how easy this impressive cast was to assemble, his approach to the violence, deleted scenes, the test screening process, and film versus digital.  He also talked about his desire to make Blonde, about the life of Marilyn Monroe, his next film with Naomi Watts in the lead role.  Check out what he had to say after the jump. 

The 2013 awards race is in full swing, and what better way to spend the Thanksgiving holiday then to take a closer look at how the categories are shaping up thus far?  Over the next few days we’re providing a bit of an overview of what the state of the race looks like at this point in time.  Yesterday we ran down the contenders for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, and today we’ll be taking a look at the fiercely competitive categories for Best Actor and Best Actress.  Hit the jump to read on.

If you like your movie trailers short on plot, heavy on the ad-libbing and redder than a Romney state, then you’ll love this new red-band effort from Movie 43.  The Peter Farrelly ensemble comedy stars everyone you’ve ever heard of in Hollywood and even some you haven’t.  Movie 43 has released another red-band trailer previously, but the new one mostly focuses on a stream of improv from Jason Sudeikis who is admiring Kristen Bell’s crotch.

Starring Elizabeth Banks, Kristen Bell, Halle Berry, Leslie Bibb, Kate Bosworth, Gerard Butler and everyone else, Movie 43 opens on January 25th, 2013.  Hit the jump to see the new red-band trailer.

A new U.K. trailer for the disaster drama The Impossible has been released.  Based on a true story, the film stars Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor as parents of a family caught in the tsunami that hit southeast Asia in 2004.  The tsunami scenes here look more terrifying than ever, but this trailer also has a strong focus on the human drama side of the story.  The pic premiered last month at the Toronto Film Festival to mostly positive reviews, with many noting director J.A. Bayona’s impressive work on the tsunami scenes.  The film also drew some criticism for being overly manipulative, but I’m a big fan of McGregor and Watts so I’m eager to see how this one plays out.

Hit the jump to watch the new trailer.  The film also stars Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, and Oaklee Pendergast.  The Impossible opens on December 21st.

The first red-band trailer from the R-rated ensemble comedy Movie 43 has gone online.  I ran out of room to list my thoughts because there’s so Goddamned-many people in this movie!

The films in the collection were directed by Brett Ratner, Elizabeth Banks, Mike Judge, Peter Farrelly, Bob Odenkirk, Steve Baker, Damon Escot, among others.  Here’s a crazy rundown of the cast:  Emma Stone, Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, Terrence Howard, Halle Berry, Jason Sudeikis, Gerard Butler, Kristen Bell, Chloe Moretz, Josh Duhamel, Johnny Knoxville, Elizabeth Banks, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Richard Gere, Anna Faris, Justin Long, Liev Schreiber, Uma Thurman, Seann William Scott, Kieran Culkin, Leslie Bibb, Jimmy Bennett, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Kate Bosworth, Patrick Warburton, Tony Shalhoub, Chris Pratt, Jack McBrayer, Aasif Mandvi, and Bobby Cannavale.  Movie 43 opens January 25, 2013.

A new trailer and two new images for director J.A. Bayona’s (The Orphanage) drama The Impossible have been released.  The film stars Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor as parents of a family caught in the tsunami that hit southeast Asia in 2004.  The tsunami scenes look genuinely terrifying, but it appears as if the majority of the film will focus on the aftermath of the disaster, as Watts and McGregor are separated with different members of their family.  It’s refreshing a take that focuses on humanity’s selflessness in a time of need, and hopefully we’ll see Bayona explore this theme further when the full film hits theaters.  This trailer is damn effective (set to the musical stylings of Damien Rice), so hopefully we’ve got something special headed our way.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer and check out the new images.  The film will screen at the Toronto Film Festival next month and opens in theaters on December 21st.

Just a few days ahead of the limited release of his new starring role in David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis, Robert Pattinson is reportedly joining Werner Herzog’s indie picture, Queen of the Desert.   The picture, which stars Naomi Watts, centers on Gertrude Bell (Watts), “who was alternately a traveler, writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer, and political attaché for the British Empire at the dawn of the twentieth century. While only a commoner herself, Bell was nonetheless a kingmaker, helping found the modern states of Iraq and Jordan and installing their first rulers, King Abdullah and King Faisal.”  Pattinson would play a young Lawrence of Arabia.  Hit the jump for more details on his character.

The jaw-dropping lineup for the upcoming Toronto Film Festival was announced this morning, and a number of images and synopses have been released for films that will be screening at the prestigious fest.  Briefly, here’s a batch of new images:

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Directed by Stephen Chbosky) Starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Nina Dobrev, Melanie Lynskey, Paul Rudd, and Dylan McDermott.
• Jayne Mansfield’s Car (Directed by Billy Bob Thornton) Starring Thornton, Robert Duvall, Kevin Bacon, and John Hurt.
• The Impossible (Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona) Starring Naomi Watts, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast, and Ewan McGregor.
• Byzantium (Directed by Neil Jordan) Starring Gemma Arterton, Saoirse Ronan, Sam Riley, and Jonny Lee Miller.

Hit the jump to check out the images and synopses.

The disaster drama The Impossible, the English-language debut of director Juan Antonio Bayona (The Orphanage), now finally has a U.S. release date.  Per Deadline, Lionsgate has slated the film for a December 21st release, pitting it against Judd Apatow’s This Is 40, the Tom Cruise-fronted Jack Reacher, and Kathryn Bigelow’s thriller Zero Dark Thirty.  That’s some formidable competition on the wide front, but The Impossible should benefit from the limited debut in New York and Los Angeles on that date.

The pic stars Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts as parents of a family caught in the tsunami that hit Thailand in 2004, with a story that promises “  “true-life terror is tempered by the unexpected displays of compassion, courage and simple kindness that Maria (Watts) and her family encounter during the darkest hours of their lives.”  The level of devastation on display in the film’s trailer is truly massive, and I’m interested in seeing how the drama plays out against the backdrop of this horrific catastrophe.

A batch of new posters have landed online.  Briefly:

• A new poster for director Joe Wright’s (Hanna) adaptation of Anna Karenina.  The visually stirring period pic stars Keira Knightley, Jude Law, and Aaron Johnson.  The film opens on November 9th.
• Two Spanish posters for The Impossible, the English-language debut of director Juan Antonio Bayona (The Orphanage), have gone online.  The film centers on the events surrounding the Tsunami of 2004 and stars Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor.  The film opens on
• An international poster for the stop-motion animated film ParaNorman, featuring the voices of Kodi Smit-McPhee, Casey Affleck and Anna Kendrick.  The film opens on August 17th.
• The first poster for the Sundance drama Hello I Must Be Going.  The film stars Melanie Lynskey as a recent divorcee who retreats to the Connecticut home of her parents and begins an affair.  The film opens in limited release on September 7th.

Hit the jump to check out the posters.

After showing off the first images of Naomi Watts (King Kong) as Princess Diana recently, we now have the first official image to share with you.  The picture, previously titled Caught in Flight, will now be known simply as Diana. The Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall) film tells of the late princess’s secret affair with heart surgeon, Dr. Hasnat Kahn, who will be played by Lost’s Naveen Andrews. The Stephen Jeffreys‘ (The Libertine) script also follows Diana’s life as she transitioned her fame toward becoming a global campaigner and humanitarian.  Currently shooting, Diana also stars Douglas Hodge (Robin Hood), Charles Edwards (Batman Begins) and Juliet Stevenson (Bend It Like Beckham).  The film is scheduled to shoot for Croatia, Mozambique and the London area.

Never underestimate the power of a latex nose.  Nicole Kidman used one to pick up an Oscar for The Hours, and now Naomi Watts has donned a fake schnoz to play Princess Diana in Oliver Hirschbeigel‘s Caught in Flight.  As we previously reported, the film will take place over the two years before Diana died, and follows her real-life secret affair with heart surgeon, Dr. Hasnat Khan, “who was said to be the love of her life.”  The plot also “charts her search for personal happiness as she turned into a major international campaigner and humanitarian.”  It’s been almost 15 years since Diana died in a car wreck, and I can’t help but wonder if audiences are still fascinating with her or if they’ve moved on to the shiny and new British royalty.

Hit the jump to check out the images.

Around the holidays we posted a striking international teaser trailer for The Impossible, the English-language debut of director Juan Antonio Bayona (The Orphanage).  Warner Bros. has followed up with a full trailer, and though broader (and still dubbed in Spanish), it leaves just as much of an impression.  Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor star as the parents of a family caught in the tsunami that hit Thailand in 2004.  The mass destruction is on display here, but the official synopsis promises “true-life terror is tempered by the unexpected displays of compassion, courage and simple kindness that Maria (Watts) and her family encounter during the darkest hours of their lives.”  Watch the trailer after the break.

Clint Eastwood has morphed from being an action director and a man’s man to the leading purveyor of Oscar bait. It seems now that every year Eastwood has a new film that designed to provoke the Academy voters into rewarding him yet again. And for 2011’s J. Edgar, he assembled an Oscar super group. Working with Brian Grazer as his producer, Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black as his writer, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer and Judi Dench, you’ve got an all-star team that screams Oscar gold. They assembled to make a bio-pic of J. Edgar Hoover, but created one of Eastwood’s worst films. Our review of the Blu-ray of J. Edgar follows after the jump.