Ralph Fiennes to Follow up CORIOLANUS with THE INVISIBLE WOMAN; Kristin Scott Thomas to Co-Star

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 8:11 am

Ralph Fiennes directorial debut, Coriolanus, was a remarkably confident and well-made first feature, and absolutely worth your time despite the rushed ending sending the film out on a sour note.  Screen Daily reports that he’ll follow it up with the period drama The Invisible Woman, which will reunite him with his The English Patient co-star Kristin Scott Thomas.  The film centers on the secret love affair between Charles Dickens (Fiennes) and his mistress Nelly Ternan (Like Crazy‘s Felicity Jones).  Thomas will play Ternan’s mother.  Abi Morgan (Shame) wrote the screenplay, and shooting is set to begin in the UK on April 23rd.

The plot seems a little bland (I’m not sure why Dickens having a mistress is a big deal), but Fiennes earned my trust with Coriolanus, and Invisible Woman has a solid supporting cast.  As for Fiennes’ non-directing projects, he’s playing Magwitch in Mike Newell‘s adaptation of Dickens’ Great Expectations, and he has a highly-secretive role in the new James Bond movie, Skyfall.  Fiennes will be seen in theaters next month reprising his role as Hades in Wrath of the Titans.

First Images from Martin McDonagh’s SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS Starring Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, and Woody Harrelson

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 7:49 am

The first images from Seven Psychopaths, Martin McDonagh‘s highly-anticipated follow up to In Bruges, have gone online. The film stars Woody Harrelson as a gangster who goes on a rampage after his beloved shih tzu is kidnapped by an unemployed actor (Sam Rockwell) whose only source of income is helping a professional dognapper (Christopher Walken) who steals dogs and returns them for the reward money (That’s right: McDonagh has basically borrowed the M.O. of Jon Lovitz character from City Slickers 2).  Colin Farrell co-stars as Martin, a struggling screenwriter who tries to help Rockwell’s character, but only gets caught up in the mess, although it gives him great material for his next script, which is called “Seven Psychopaths”.

Hit the jump to check out the images and more info on the flick, which also stars Tom Waits, Gabourey Sidibe, Abbie Cornish, and Olga Kurylenko.  Seven Psychopaths is due out in theaters this fall.

MALCOLM X Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 5:00 am

Spike Lee’s Malcolm X is twenty years old, but the controversy surrounding it still feels fresh. At the time, Lee was considered a dangerous filmmaker, and no one was sure how the film would be received and if it would start riots. And Lee made it of the moment; he opened with the Rodney King beating, which now may have no context to younger viewers. But now, it’s simply a great movie that is saddled with a bio-pic structure. Denzel Washington gives a career best performance as the criminal transformed into a great leader and thinker. Our review of Malcolm X on Blu-ray follows after the jump.

Jon Favreau to Direct NBC Pilot REVOLUTION; J.J. Abrams, Eric Kripke, and Bryan Burk Producing

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 8:45 pm

Even prior to any casting or extensive plot details, the NBC pilot Revolution has major geek credentials.  J.J. Abrams and partner Bryan Burk—who together have brought us Star Trek, Alias, Lost, Fringe, etc.—are producing.  Supernatural creator Eric Kripke wrote the script.  Now Deadline reports Jon Favreau, he of Iron Man fame, will direct the pilot.  Favreau has directed a few TV comedies before, including an episode of Undeclared, but nothing of this scope.  Revolution is described as “a high-octane action drama following a group of characters struggling to survive and reunite with loved ones in a world where all forms of energy have mysteriously ceased to exist.”  I don’t know what that means, but it sounds very cool, mostly because I trust the parties involved.

Favreau is also working on Tweaked this pilot season over at CBS.  He wrote the script, which chronicles life and dating among single parents in Santa Monica, and is attached to direct.

David Ramsey Joins The CW’s GREEN ARROW Series; Wendi McLendon-Covey to Star Opposite Goldie Hawn in HBO’s THE VIAGRA DIARIES

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 8:05 pm

The CW is casting up for Arrow, a drama series based on the DC comic Green Arrow.  Last week Stephen Amell (The Vampire Diaries) signed on to star as the playboy who moonlights as a hooded superhero, fighting crime with his enhanced arrows.  Variety reports David Ramsey (Blue Bloods) will join the pilot as John Diggle, “a former military man now working as a bodyguard for hire who soon finds he is trapped in a battle of wits, loyalty and trust.”  Diggle is a new character not found in the comic books, though the surname could be a nod to Green Arrow: Year One writer Andy Diggle.  Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim (Green Lantern) are producing Arrow along with Andrew Kreisberg (Fringe).

Hit the jump for details on Bridesmaid co-star Wendi McLendon-Covey‘s role in a new HBO series.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead to Star in THE DARKNESS; Jason Jones Joins THE BLACK MARKS

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 7:31 pm

Mary Elizabeth Winstead has signed on to star in The Darkness, a thriller that Daniel Stamm (The Last Exorcism) will direct.  The script by Megan Holley (Sunshine Cleaning) is loosely based on the Henry James novel Turn of the Screw.  The story follows “a young American student working for a charismatic tutor in an English manor house who becomes convinced that she and the children she is warding are being haunted.”  Joe Neurauter and Felipe Marino (Peep World) will produce alongside Ben Forkner (The Killing Room).  According to Screen Daily, The Darkness will shoot in Europe this summer.  Winstead is coming off stellar Sundance buzz for her performance in Smashed, and will next be seen in the June 22 release Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

Hit the jump for details on Jason Jones‘ role in The Black Marks.

THE HOBBIT to Star Billy Connolly as Dwarven Warrior

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 4:57 pm

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe there is a vast array of characters available for actors to portray. Some, like Evangeline Lilly’s elf, Tauriel, are created specifically for The Hobbit, while some actors, like Benedict Cumberbatch (War Horse), lend their performance and voice to a mythological creature. Then there is Billy Connolly (Boondock Saints) who gets to play one of the most fearsome and storied dwarves in all of Tolkien’s tomes. The Scottish actor will play Dain Ironfoot, cousin to Thorin Oakenshield (played by Richard Armitage) and a power-player in dwarven royalty. Having brought Connolly on as Ironfoot, director Peter Jackson commented on how this latest addition has completed the cast. Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

300: BATTLE OF ARTEMISIA to Star Sullivan Stapleton

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 4:12 pm

The 300 sequel, 300: Battle of Artemisia has finally cast its first male lead in the form of Sullivan Stapleton (Animal Kingdom). Stapleton will star opposite Eva Green (Casino Royale), who was in recent talks to play Artemisia, the “ruthless, gold-covered goddess who persuades Xerxes to amass his army and helps lead them into battle.” There is currently some confusion as to whether Stapleton will be cast as Xerxes (portrayed in the original 300 by Rodrigo Santoro) or if he will be portraying the lead role of Themistocles, the leader of the Greek forces who oppose the Persian army.

Directed by Noam Murro (Smart People) and written/produced by 300 director Zack Snyder, 300: Battle of Artemisia takes place in a similar time as the original but will have a new setting and cast of characters. Hit the jump for more.

Justin Long, Evan Rachel Wood, and Peter Dinklage to Star in A CASE OF YOU

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 3:43 pm

Justin Long is gearing up to stretch his filmmaking chops behind the camera. Long wrote and will produce the indie A Case of You, which he will also star in alongside Evan Rachel Wood and Peter Dinklage. Variety reports that the story centers on “a young writer who tries to impress a girl he meets online with an embellished profile, but finds himself in a real mess when she falls for him and he has to keep up the act.” While the logline seems a bit “teen comedy”, I’m encouraged by the cast and, ultimately, Long’s involvement. He’s been a standout in a large number of films over the past few years and I’m interested to see something that comes straight from his creative voice. Also, Dinklage rules. Neither Wood nor Long have anything (officially) on the immediate horizon, but Dinklage can be seen in the second season of Game of Thrones starting April 1st on HBO. He returns to film season three later this summer.

This Season of HOUSE M.D. Will Be the Last

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 3:27 pm

After much speculation, the producers of House M.D. have finally come to a smart decision. The current eighth season of the medical drama series starring Hugh Laurie will be the last. With Lisa Edelstein opting not to come back this season, the writing was on the wall for Dr. Gregory House to end his practice, and now it’s official. While the show certainly should come to an end at this point, this season has been surprisingly decent, especially with new cast members like Charlyne Yi and Odette Annable. The most recent episode, a departure from the show’s usual formula, was one of the best of the season, and while the writers certainly still have some fight left in them, it’s time to give House and his team a respectful exit. Does that mean we’ll see some old faces stop by for a clean wrap up? We’ll have to wait and see. Hit the jump for a heartfelt thanks and farewell from producers David Shore, Katie Jacobs and Hugh Laurie, as well as a statement from Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.

Maya Rudolph to Host SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE on February 18th

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 3:16 pm

It’s always fun when Saturday Night Live alums return to host, so it’s great to hear from NBC that Maya Rudolph, who can currently be seen on the comedy series Up All Night, will return to Studio 8H on February 18th. That likely means we’ll see the Bridesmaids star reprise some of her characters from years past including her outrageous Whitney Huston and maybe even a new Bronx Beat if Amy Poehler can be coaxed to make a guest appearance. Rudolph will be joined by musical guest Sleigh Bells making their network television debut.

Alfred Molina to Lead David E. Kelley’s New TNT Medical Drama CHELSEA GENERAL

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 2:50 pm

Since it seems like House M.D. might be on the way out, the time is coming for a new medical drama to step up to the plate. Perhaps Alfred Molina will be a good substitute for Hugh Laurie as Deadline reports the Spider-Man 2 star will lead David E. Kelley’s TNT medical drama Chelsea General. The new series is based on Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s forthcoming novel Monday Mornings, a story that follows five surgeons as they push the limits of their abilities and confront their personal and professional failings (sound familiar?) The series takes place during the hospital’s Monday Morbidity and Mortality conference, considered the most secretive meeting in all of medicine, where doctors gather for a confidential review of complications and errors in patient care. More details after the jump.

Set Photos from M. Night Shyamalan’s AFTER EARTH Starring Will Smith

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 2:03 pm

Production is currently underway on M. Night Shyamalan’s new sci-fi project After Earth, and the director and star Will Smith have been sharing a few photos from the set with fans eager to see how Shyamalan will ruin yet another movie. The good news is that Shyamalan got help on the script from Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli) and Stephen Gaghan (Traffic), so hopefully the story is being reigned in. Previously titled 1000 A.E., the film is set 1000 years in the future and centers on a young boy navigating “an abandoned and sometimes scary Earth to save himself and his estranged father after their ship crashes.” Smith stars alongside his son Jaden Smith, who toplined the recent Karate Kid remake. The premise is interesting enough and the inclusion of Gaghan gives me hope that maybe After Earth will serve as a much-needed comeback for the Signs director.

The photos don’t show anyone in costume, but we do get a look at the Smiths and Shyamalan on the gorgeous Costa Rica set. Shyamalan reveals through comments on the photos that this is the first film he’s shooting digitally and he’s using the Sony F65. Hit the jump to check out the photos. The film also stars Zoe Kravitz, Sophie Okonedo, and Isabelle Fuhrman. After Earth opens June 7th, 2013.

STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D Interview with Supervising Sound Editor Matthew Wood

by Steven Shaw    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 1:45 pm

With the release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D this weekend, Twentieth Century Fox recently hosted a press junket at Skywalker Ranch and Lucasfilm.  In an effort to promote the experience for the next generation, my seven year-old daughter, Cyan, interviewed four people who helped bring George Lucas’ vision to life.  Her third interview was with Matthew Wood, a supervising sound editor with Skywalker Sound who worked to secure Academy Award nominations for Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing for The Phantom Menace.  In Episode I, he is the voice of all the droids and in Episode III and The Clone Wars animated series he is the voice of General Grievous.  Hit the jump to watch the interview.

Linda Cardellini RETURN Interview

by Christina Radish    Posted: February 8th, 2012 at 1:20 pm

The indie drama Return (opening in theaters on February 10^th) tells the story of Kelli (Linda Cardellini), a woman back from a military tour of duty, who’s looking forward to rejoining her old life with her husband (Michael Shannon) and children. Even though she wanted nothing more than to experience the feelings of everyday life again, she slowly realizes that her world has become unfamiliar. Her friends and family just don’t understand what she’s been through, and she doesn’t know how to overcome that to move forward.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, actress Linda Cardellini talked about what attracted her to this role, finding ways to identify with this woman even though she never chose to make the same sacrifice, talking to people with similar experiences to hear their stories and how they dealt with returning home after war, working with two amazing co-stars like Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire) and John Slattery (Mad Men), and the challenges of being on screen for almost every single minute of the film. She also talked about last year’s Freaks and Geeks reunion at PaleyFest and what it was like to see not just her co-stars but their families again, how she got interested in writing and developing her own projects, and what she’s looking for now in acting roles. Check out what she had to say after the jump:

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