The romantic thriller Safe Haven, from director Lasse Hallström and adapted from best-selling author Nicholas Sparks’ (The Notebook, Dear John) novel of the same name, tells the story of Katie Feldman (Julianne Hough), who arrives in the tiny coastal town of Southport, North Carolina, looking to make a new start.  Even though she’s hoping to keep a low profile, she finds herself interested in and attracted to local store owner Alex (Josh Duhamel), who has two young children.  Each are haunted by their past, but hopeful for their newfound happiness and love.

At the film’s press day, actress Julianne Hough spoke to Collider for this exclusive interview about how she came to this role, what it’s like to be part of a Nicholas Sparks movie, what a big fan of his work she’s been (A Walk to Remember was her favorite movie, growing up), that she finds the emotional work more challenging than the physical, and how scary it was for her to try improvising.  She also talked about how excited she is for people to see another side of her, as Lamb in Diablo Cody’s directorial debut, Paradise.  Check out what she had to say after the jump. 

Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough get their romantic groove on for Valentine’s Day in the Nicholas Sparks adaptation, Safe Haven, which opens February 14^th.  The romantic thriller centers on a young woman with a dark past whose sudden arrival in a small North Carolina town raises questions.  As Katie (Hough) struggles with a dark secret that still haunts her, she reluctantly finds new love with a lonely widower (Duhamel) and his two children (Noah Lomax, Mimi Kirkland).  Directed by Lasse Hallström from a screenplay by Dana Stevens, the film also features Cobie Smulders and David Lyons.

At the film’s recent press day, Duhamel, Hough, Hallström, Sparks and producer Marty Bowen talked about turning the novel into a major film, what Hallström brought to the story on screen, navigating the fine line between drama and melodrama to give an authentic voice to the characters, the process of conceiving a story that might be made into a film, the terrifying yet liberating experience of improv-ing on set, and the luxury of shooting on location in the quaint seaside town of Southport where the story was set.  Hough also discussed playing a victim of domestic abuse and doing her own stunts.  Hit the jump to read more:

With director Lasse Hallstrom’s (The Cider House Rules) Safe Haven opening February 8, we’ve been provided with four clips.  Based on the Nicholas Sparks book, the film stars Julianne Hough as a young woman who arrives in a small North Carolina town and raises questions about her past due to her reluctance to join the tight-knit community.  She strikes up a relationship with a widowed store owner (Josh Duhamel) who has two small children, but soon realizes she’ll have to face her dark secrets head on.  The film also stars Cobie Smulders and David Lyons.  Hit the jump to watch the clips.

The first trailer and images for the Nicholas Sparks adaptation Safe Haven have been released.  Julianne Hough stars as a young woman who arrives in a small North Carolina town and raises questions about her past due to her reluctance to join the tight-knit community.  She strikes up a relationship with a widowed store owner (Josh Duhamel) who has two small children, but soon realizes she’ll have to face her dark secrets head on.  This essentially looks like every other Nicholas Sparks movie ever made, so if you’re a fan of those films then this is probably right up your alley.  If not, Safe Haven looks unlikely to sway your opinion.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer and images.  Directed by Lasse Hallstrom (The Cider House Rules) the film also stars Cobie Smulders and David Lyons and opens on February 8th, 2013.

Having just recently wrapped the starring role in Juno scribe Diablo Cody’s untitled directorial debut, Julianne Hough is now attached to reteam with Cody on the romantic dramedy Time and a Half for Groundswell Productions and Mad Chance Productions.  Hough will play a recent college grad who runs into her sister’s high school boyfriend while taking a temp job at a trophy store.  To complicate matters, she once had a one-night stand with said high school boyfriend.  Cody wrote the script and Ol Parker (Imagine Me & You) is set to direct the pic.

Variety reports that the filmmakers are currently searching for the right actress to play Hough’s sister, and the project won’t go forward until they’ve filled the role.  The plan is to start production next year should everything come together.  Hough will next be seen in the Nicholas Sparks adaptation Safe Haven, which opens next Valentine’s Day.

Music is the heart of any musical, and Rock of Ages has a stolen heart.  The movie is based on a Broadway show designed with tourists in mind rather than people who actually appreciate stage musicals.  It’s a show that plays to nostalgia and provides the comfort of classic tunes so the audience is basically pre-sold: if you like the music, then why wouldn’t you like this music delivery system upheld by the laziest story imaginable?  If a musical must rely on other people’s music rather than writing original songs, then the onus for originality falls on the direction.  Sadly, director Adam Shankman is hardly up for the task of finding a new spin on well-worn rock favorites, and he’s only able to sporadically bring vibrancy to the film adaptation’s almost non-stop barrage of numbers.

In the feature film adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical Rock of Ages, small town girl Sherrie (Julianne Hough) and city boy Drew (Diego Boneta) meet on the Sunset Strip in 1987, in pursuit of their Hollywood dreams. With the hits of Def Leppard, Foreigner, Journey, Poison, REO Speedwagon, Twisted Sister and so many more, to help tell the story, their rock ‘n’ roll romance hits its fair share of speed bumps on the road to fame.  For more on the film, watch eight clips here.

At the film’s press day, co-stars Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta talked about what it was like for them when they each came to Hollywood, when they felt like their career was on the right track, what Tom Cruise was like as rock god Stacee Jaxx, how tough pole dancing can be, having some of the original rock stars perform for them on a lunch break, and the cut lap dance scene between Hough and Cruise that will make it on the DVD. Julianne also talked about focusing on her acting career and what she’s doing next, while Diego talked about his new MTV show Underemployed and the album he’s working on with Adam Levine (Maroon 5).  Check out what they had to say after the jump.

We’ve been provided with eight clips from director Adam Shankman’s (Hairspray) upcoming movie musical Rock of Ages to share with our readers.   The film stars Julianne Hough as a small-town girl with big dreams who falls for a rock star (Tom Cruise), but the film is packed with 80s songs from the likes of Journey, Foreigner, Styx, and REO Speedwagon.  Joining in on the 80s fun is Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand,Malin Akerman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Diego Boneta, Mary J. Blige, and Bryan Cranston.

Hit the jump to watch the clips.  If you missed any of Steve’s set visit coverage, be sure to check out 20 things to know about the film and his interviews with Shankman, Boneta and Hough.  Rock of Ages opens on June 15^th.

Every so often, there is a story throughout the week that finds itself right on the cusp of Top 5 inclusion before ultimately missing the cut. For whatever reason, today I feel compelled to give one of these said stories an “Honorable Mention” tip of the cap. This write-up from a few days back regarding the chronology of Quentin Tarantino‘s filmography and how Inglorious Basterds influences the entire lineage of his “movieverse” is one that I found incredibly cool and definitely worth your time (even if we’re not bestowing upon it the career-validating honor of making the Top 5).

As for those stories that did make this week’s cut, we have a plethora of coverage from Steve’s visit to the set of The Dark Knight Rises, the first trailer, poster, and new images from Les Miserables, a new trailer for The Bourne Legacy, more set visit goodness for Rock of Ages, and the first installment of our movie poster lovefest column, Limited Paper. A brief recap and link to each awaits.

Julianne Hough didn’t want to do another musical after Burlesque and Footloose, but when she heard director Adam Shankman was going to direct Rock of Ages and he’d already cast Tom Cruise and Alec Baldwin, she said, “Alright.  Maybe I can do one more.”  In the upcoming musical that takes place in the late 80s, Hough plays Sherrie Christian, a small-town girl that wants to make it as an actress in Los Angeles.  The musical is full of hits from the decade, and also stars Diego Boneta, Russell Brand, Malin Akerman, Bryan Cranston, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Mary J. Blige.  For more on the film, here’s the recent trailer and all our previous coverage.

Last August, I got to visit the set when the production was shooting in Miami.  During a break in filming, I participated in a group interview with Hough, and she talked about landing the role, had she seen the Broadway musical, what it was like to give Tom Cruise a lap dance, the tone of the film, working with the stellar cast, singing with Mary J. Blige, the music, and so much more.  Hit the jump for what she had to say. 

Though this summer is filled with superhero and sci-fi fare to the max, we’ve also got a full-on movie musical to look forward to.  Warner Bros. has released 30 new high-resolution images from director Adam Shankman’s Rock of Ages.  The film stars Julianne Hough as a small-town girl with big dreams who falls for a rock star (Tom Cruise), but it’s packed with 80’s songs from the likes of Journey, Foreigner, Styx, and REO Speedwagon.  Cruise and Hough are joined by a stacked supporting cast in 100% 80’s garb that includes Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Malin Akerman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Diego Boneta, Mary J. Blige, and Bryan Cranston.

Hit the jump to check out the images.  Rock of Ages opens on June 15th.

Good news, everyone: the next Nicholas Sparks adaptation finally has a female lead!  Despite being set for a pre-Valentine’s Day 2013 release this past December, Safe Haven has been without a female lead for the duration of its development.  Josh Duhamel (Transformers) recently signed on as the male lead, and now Variety reports that Footloose star Julianne Hough is in talks to land that coveted female role.  The story centers on a young woman with a dark past who arrives in a small North Carolina town, and reluctantly begins a relationship with a widowed store owner and his two children, and a friendship with her plainspoken neighbor.

Keira Knightley was previously rumored to be eyeing the role, but apparently a deal never materialized. Lasse Hallström (Chocolat) is onboard to direct the adaptation.  I quite liked Hough’s charisma in Footloose, and Diablo Cody chose her to star in the Juno scribe’s upcoming untitled directorial debut.  The actress will next be seen opposite Tom Cruise in Rock of Ages when it opens next month.  Hit the jump to read a synopsis of Sparks’ novel.

You’d be forgiven for forgetting that there’s a Tom Cruise rock musical coming this summer in between all the superhero fare.  While we’ve only gotten brief glimpses of the musical numbers from Rock of Ages in the film’s trailers, a full music video for the stars’ rendition of Journey’s “Any Way You Want It” has gone online.  I actually think the idea for Rock of Ages is solid, but I absolutely cannot stand the production on these songs.  Director Adam Shankman recruited Glee’s music producer Adam Anders to produce the songs for Rock of Ages, and all the choruses sound way, way, way overproduced.  “Any Way You Want It” doesn’t sound terrible thanks to Mary J. Blige, but any time the chorus comes in I’m immediately taken out of the number.

In addition to the music video, an audio sample of Cruise singing “Pour Some Sugar On Me” has also landed online.  Again, it’s overproduced, but Cruise doesn’t sound terrible on his own.  Hit the jump to take a listen to the songs.  Rock of Ages opens on June 15th.

We’ve got a few new posters to share with you this evening.  Briefly:

• On the Road – New character posters showcasing Kristen Stewart and Garrett Hedlund from director Walter Salles’ adaptation of the Jack Kerouac novel.
• Rock of Ages – An ensemble poster from the 80s rock musical starring Tom Cruise, Julianne Hough, Alec Baldwin, and Russell Brand.
• Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – A new poster from the blood-filled twist on the story of our nation’s 16th President.  Benjamin Walker, Rufus Sewell, and Anthony Mackie star.
• Neighborhood Watch – A new poster for the sci-fi comedy starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, and Richard Ayoade as bored men who join a neighborhood watch group for fun.

Hit the jump to check out the new posters.

We’ve got a few high resolution images from the musical Rock of Ages and the horror flick The Apparition to share this afternoon.  Directed by Adam Shankman, Rock of Ages stars Julianne Hough as a small-town girl with big dreams who falls for a rock star (Tom Cruise).  The musical is full of 1980s hits and features a pretty impressive ensemble cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Diego Boneta, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Paul Giamatti.  The film opens on June 15th.

Additionally, The Apparition centers on a young couple played by Ashley Green (Twilight) and Sebastian Stan (Captain America) who accidentally conjure a terrifying apparition that feeds on their fear.  Naturally, they turn to Harry Potter’s Tom Felton to help them get rid of the dastardly creature.  These images confirm that Greene is, in fact, very good looking. The film opens on August 24th.