Anytime you cast Jared Harris, you’ve made the right choice.  That’s because over the past two decades, and especially the last few years on Mad Men, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, and Lincoln, Harris has played every type of role and always makes it look easy.   In director Harald Zwart’s The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Harris is taking on a new challenge: playing a Shadowhunter named Hodge Starkweather.  In the universe of The Mortal Instruments, the shadowhunters are a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons.

During a group interview on set last year in Toronto, Harris talked about how he got the role, the differences between the book and movie, his preparation process, Sherlock Holmes, what it’s been like filming the action scenes, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to either read or listen to what he had to say.

Getting a movie made is never easy.  And in the case of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, it was especially difficult.  Originally set up at Warner Bros. and then at Sony, it was stuck in development hell until producers Don Carmody and Robert Kulzer decided to take a gamble on the property.  Following the model they created with the first Resident Evil movie (they produced it independently and then made a deal with a studio), they had the script rewritten, got a director, and started casting.  After a crazy few months, they were in pre-production and then in front of cameras.

On set last year, I got to participate in a group interview with Carmody and Kulzer.  They talked about the challenges of getting The Mortal Instruments made, casting Lily Collins, the differences between Mortal Instruments and Twilight and Harry Potter, the success of The Hunger Games and how it had a female lead, deciding where to spend the money when you’ve got a limited budget, altering the tone of the story, and so much more.  Hit the jump to either read or listen to what they had to say.

After the success of The Karate Kid remake, director Harald Zwart was in the enviable position of having his pick of projects.   However, while he might have been offered a number of things, what he really wanted to do was an action-fantasy with a female lead.  Enter The Mortal Instruments.  According to producer Robert Kulzer, when Zwart walked into his office he had a pole of storyboards and said:

“This is the color palate, and this is what Clary looks like, and this is what The Institute is going to look like, and the wardrobe.”

After putting his name in for The Mortal Instruments, he quickly got the job and started working non-stop to bring it to the screen.  Last year on the Toronto set, I participated in a group interview with Zwart during a break in filming.  He talked about why he wanted to make this story, how filmmaking is a collaborative process, what he did to distinguish it from the other young adult fantasy properties, the soundtrack, 3D, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to either read or listen to what he had to say.

One of the more anticipated Young Adult adaptations coming up is director Harald Zwart’s take on The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, and Screen Gems has provided us with an exclusive first look at Jemima West as the character Isabelle in the film.  The story follows Clary Fray (Lily Collins), a teenage girl who discovers that she’s descended from a sect of half-angel warriors who protect the world from demons.  The trailer promises some rather intense fighting sequences as well as plenty of supernatural sorcery, so hopefully fans are happy with the book-to-screen adaptation.

Hit the jump to check out the new image.  The film also stars Jamie Campbell Bower, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Lena Headey, Kevin Durand, CCH Pounder, and Kevin Zegers.  The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones opens on August 23rd.

Screen Gems has released the first trailer for the adaptation of Cassandra Clare‘s young adult novel The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.  The story follows Clary Fray (Lily Collins), a teenage girl who discovers that she’s descended from a sect of half-angel warriors who protect the world from demons.  As a teen drama with ties to the occult, The Mortal Instruments will draw comparisons to Twilight.  But the trailer—specifically the sword fights and flamethrowers within— suggest more ass-kicking.  There is a big world and dense mythology here to explore, and the visuals help sell it better than the synopsis ever could.  It helps when you have Mad Men‘s eloquent Jared Harris to deliver the exposition in what sure looks like the “Giles” role.

Jamie Campbell Bower, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Lena Headey, Kevin Durand, CCH Pounder, and Kevin Zegers also star.  Directed by Harald Zwart (The Karate Kid), The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones opens August 23, 2013.  Watch the trailer after the jump.

The first image has been released from the upcoming adaptation of Cassandra Clare‘s young adult novel Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.  The film follows Clary Fray (Lily Collins), a teenage girl who discovers that she’s descended from a sect of half-angel warriors who protect the world from demons.  In this image, Clary is wielding a rune—a defensive magical symbol used by the “Shadowhunters” (the name the half-angel warriors use even though “Demonpunchers” would have been better).  The Shadowhunters draw the runes themselves, and in this scene Clary is using her first rune to fight off an enemy.  “It was very reassuring to come on set and see everything covered in runes and replicated down to the last detail,” Clare tells EW.  “The movie was definitely made by people who love the books and wanted to do right by them.”

If you’re a fan of the books, let us know in the comments section what you think about the first look at the film.  The movie also stars Jamie Campbell Bower, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Lena Headey, Kevin Durand, CCH Punder, Kevin Zegers, and Jared Harris.  Mortal Instruments: City of Bones opens August 23, 2013. [Update: The first poster has also been unveiled and is now included after the jump.]

In the newest clip released for Sam Mendes’ James Bond flick, Skyfall, Bond (Daniel Craig) is up to old habits: namely gambling and womanizing.  This thirty-second spot shows Bond playing cavalier with his hard-earned winnings and introduces him to Severine (Berenice Marlohe).  They must have hit it off since they later meet up for a refreshing Heineken on a passenger train.  We also have the first look at Harald Zwart’s The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones in a behind-the-scenes featurette with cast interviews.

Skyfall, also starring Judi Dench, Ben Whishaw, Helen McCrory, Ralph Fiennes and Naomie Harris, opens November 9th stateside. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones stars Lily Collins, Lena Headey, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Kevin Durand and opens August 23rd, 2013.  Hit the jump to check out the clip and featurette.

Although the release date for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is still about a year away, we have a production update to share with you.  Along with a new promotional image, we have a fully updated cast listing for the Harald Zwart-directed adaptation of the best-selling Cassandra Clare novel. The fantasy series follows a teenage girl who discovers that she’s descended from a sect of half-angel warriors who protect the world from demons.  Hit the jump for the most up-to-date casting info and a new promotional image.

A bit of casting news to share with you today.  Here are the important bits:

• Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Match Point) is in negotiations to join The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, the adaptation ofCassandra Clare’sYA fantasy novel.
• Xavier Samuel (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse) will join Emily Browning and Cam Gigandet in Catherine Hardwicke’s indie thriller, Plush.  

Hit the jump for more details on each picture.

Production on the young adult adaptation The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones begins next month, and now a few exciting casting additions have been announced.  Based on the first book in Cassandra Clare‘s novel series, the film centers on a young woman (Lily Collins) who discovers she is the descendant of a line of secret cadre of half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect the world from demons.  Jaime Campbell Bower is set as the male lead, Jace Wayland, and now it’s been announced that Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey, Mad Men’s Jared Harris, and Godfrey Gao (All About Women) have joined the cast.  Hit the jump for details on who each actor will be playing.

The long-gestating adaptation of The Mortal Instruments is finally moving forward, and now two antagonists have been cast.  Based on the first book in Cassandra Clare‘s young adult novel series, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, the film centers on a young woman who discovers she is the descendant of a line of secret cadre of half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect the world from demons.”  Lily Collins and Jaime Campbell Bower are set as the leads, and Variety now reports that Kevin Durand (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and Robert Maillet (Sherlock Holmes) have been cast as Pangborn and Blackwell, two henchman of the film’s main villain, Valentine.

The film adapatation had been in limbo when was without financing, but Screen Gems and Constantin Film recently teamed up to back the pic.  Harold Zwart (The Karate Kid) will direct, with The Mortal Instruments set for release on August 23rd, 2013.  Hit the jump to read the official synopsis.

Two more casting notices to close out the night:

• Freddy Rodriguez and Ryan Hurst signed on to CBGB, a story about the quest of Hilly Kristal (Alan Rickman) to turn a small club into the legendary punk venue CBGB
  
• Jemima West joined the adaptation of The Mortal Instruments led by Lily Collins and Jaime Campbell Bower

Hit the jump for details on each project.

Sony Pictures’ genre arm Screen Gems has acquired the Harold Zwart‘s adaptation of The Mortal Instruments starring Lily Collins.  Based on the first book in Cassandra Clare‘s young adult novel series, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Collins will play Clary Fray, “a young woman who discovers she is the descendant of a line of secret cadre of half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect the world from demons.”  Sony had been circling Mortal Instruments back in February, but decided to pass.  According to Deadline, Constantin Film has come on board to partner on the movie, so it now has the financing to move forward.  We previously reported that filming was set to begin August 15th in Toronto.

According to Box Office Mojo, Screen Gems will release the film on August 23, 2013.  The movie currently has no competition on that date.  Hit the jump for the official synopsis.

Director Harold Zwart (The Karate Kid remake) has boarded Mortal Instruments starring Lily Collins.  The film is an adaptation of Cassandra Clare‘s young adult novel, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.  Collins will play Clary Fray, “a young woman who discovers she is the descendant of a line of secret cadre of half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect the world from demons.”  Zwart previously directed the cringe-worthy family fare Agent Cody Banks and The Pink Panther 2, but I rather enjoyed his remake of The Karate Kid.  He’s certainly a step up from the previous director Scott Stewart (Priest) who left to work on a TV series based on his film Legion.

According to THR, filming on Mortal Instruments is set to begin on August 15th in Toronto.  Hit the jump for the official synopsis.

We’ve got another batch of posters and synopses from the American Film Market, including promo posters and synopses for Tarzan 3D and The Impossible, as well as an official synopsis for the feature film adaptation of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. The new adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic tale Tarzan comes in the form of a 3D animated adaptation. Reinhard Klooss (Animals United) is directing from a script that Klooss co-wrote with Jessica Postigo (The Mortal Instruments). Additionally, The Impossible comes from The Orphanage director J.A. Bayona and stars Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, and Tom Holland. The film tells the true story of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, as Watts races to find and save her family from the ensuing flood.

Finally, we’ve got the official synopsis for the feature film adaptation of the popular teen book series The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. The 3D film stars Lily Collins as a girl who is transported to another world when she meets a mysterious half-angel known as a Shadowhunter. Hit the jump to see the promo posters and synopses.