Earlier today, the Toronto International Film Festival announced additions to their Galas and Special Presentations programs.  Among the films with new images and synopses are:

• While We’re Young (Directed by Noah Baumbach) starring Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried and Charles Grodin.
• Force Majeure (Directed by Ruben Östlund) starring Johannes Bah Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Clara Wettergren, Vincent Wettergren, Kristofer Hivju and Fanni Metelius.
• Coming Home (Directed by Zhang Yimou) starring Chen Daoming and Gong Li.
• A Second Chance (Directed by Susanne Bier) starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ulrich Thomsen, Maria Bonnevie, Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Lykke May Andersen.

Hit the jump to check out the images and synopses.  The 2014 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 4th-14th.

A few casting items crept up in today’s second half.  In short:

• Mathew McConaughey is said to be in talks to join The Company Man.  The former Black List script is currently looking for a director.
• Amy Ryan, Eve Hewson, Alan Alda and Billy Magnussen look to be joining Steven Spielberg’s Untitled Cold War Thriller starring Tom Hanks.
• Speaking of talks, Naomi Watts is apparently in them to join Jake Gyllenhaal in Demolition, the new picture from Dallas Buyers Club-director Jean-Marc Vallée.

Hit the jump for more on each announcement.

Alejandro González Iñárritu’s new film Birdman, starring Michael Keaton, will be the opening film of the 71st Annual Venice Film Festival.  This move obviously conveys a high amount of confidence in the film not only on the part of the Fest, but on behalf of distributor Fox Searchlight as well.  So far everything bodes well for what looks to be a truly original work.

Hit the jump for more on Birdman opening the Venice Film Festival.  The film also stars Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough, and Amy Ryan. Birdman (aka The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) opens October 17th. And if you haven’t checked out the trailer, please do so. It’s wonderful. 

The Weinstein Company has released the first St. Vincent trailer for writer/director Theodore Melfi’s upcoming dramedy.  Bill Murray stars as a curmudgeonly, misanthropic veteran who begrudgingly agrees to look after his divorced neighbor’s (Melissa McCarthy) young boy while she’s at work, making an unlikely new friend in the process.  The film looks like a solid vehicle for Murray to do his thing, and I’m definitely interested in seeing how McCarthy handles a more dramatic role.  The pic was a heavily sought-after item in development, and with a fall release date, it’s possible The Weinstein Company could be going after some awards love for Murray and/or McCarthy.

Hit the jump to watch the first St. Vincent trailer.  The film opens in theaters on October 14th and also stars Chris O’Dowd and Naomi Watts.

Fox Searchlight has released five new Birdman images.  Michael Keaton plays Riggin Thomson an actor, who once played an iconic superhero, and now faces troubles with his ego and family as he prepares to mount a Broadway production of Raymond Carver’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Love in a bid to reclaim past glory.  Edward Norton co-stars as an actor in the play and Emma Stone plays Thomson’s daughter.  Birdman is already one of my most-anticipated films for the remainder of 2014, and these images (the one with Keaton and Norton preparing to fight, in particular) make me want to see the movie even more.

Hit the jump to check out the Birdman images, and in case you haven’t seen the great teaser trailer, click here.  The film also stars Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough, and Amy Ryan.  Birdman opens October 17th.

Fox Searchlight has released the first Birdman trailer.  Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) stars Michael Keaton as an actor who once played an iconic superhero, and now faces troubles with his ego and family as he prepares to mount a Broadway play in a bid to reclaim past glory.  Aside from the biographical implications of the story, this teaser trailer has some gorgeous shots, and looks far more fantastical than anything director Alejandro González Iñárritu has done before.  I’m also a huge fan of Keaton, and I can’t wait to see him a dramatic role that puts him front-and-center.

Hit the jump to check out the Birdman trailer.  The film opens on October 17th, and also stars Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Ryan, and Andrea Riseborough.

We have a few casting stories to attend to this afternoon.  Briefly:

• Naomi Watts has landed the critical role of Evelyn in the Divergent sequel Insurgent, as well as the two-part conclusion to the franchise Allegiant.
• Tim Roth will play Governor George Wallace in the Martin Luther King, Jr. film Selma.
• The Wire alum has joined John Travolta and Ethan Hawke in director Ti West’s (The Sacrament) Blumhouse Pictures Western In a Valley of Violence.

Hit the jump for more on the aforementioned casting.

eOne has released a new trailer for the drama Diana.  Naomi Watts stars as the eponymous princess, and 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).  Diana is one of two upcoming “famous princess” movies, the other being Grace of Monaco starring Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly.  I’m not the target audience for either movie, but at least Grace of Monaco has its protagonist doing something substantial in trying work behind the scenes to prevent political turmoil in her country.  Judging by the trailer for Diana, there’s some brief lip service towards her humanitarian work, but it’s mostly about a love affair between a regular guy and an attractive, rich, and famous person.  It’s like Notting Hill, but no fun whatsoever.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer and poster.  Diana opens November 1st.

A bit more casting news today:

• Naomi Watts (The Impossible) is in talks to star in Holland, Michigan, a thriller from documentary director Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Lines) that’s scripted by debut screenwriter, Andrew Sodroski.
• Jennifer Lopez (Parker) is set to star in producer Jason Blum’s new micro-budget thriller, The Boy Next Door, possibly helmed by Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious).
• Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones) has joined James Wan’s Fast & Furious 7.

Hit the jump for more on both pictures.

Entertainment One announced today that director Oliver Hirschbiegel’s (Downfall) Princess Diana biopic Diana will be given a limited release in the U.S. on November 1st, followed by a nationwide expansion.  Naomi Watts stars as the titular figure, and 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).  The film’s trailer looks to paint a rather idolatrous portrait of Diana rather than humanizing her with a warts-and-all glimpse into her life, but this could just be a product of poor marketing.  Entertainment One no doubt hopes to drum up some awards buzz for the feature, so it’ll be interesting to see how the film is received by critics.

When Diana opens on November 1st, it will be playing opposite the sci-fi pic Ender’s Game, Relativity’s animated feature Free Birds, and the ensemble comedy Last Vegas.

A new trailer has been released for the romantic biopic, Diana.  Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall) and starring Naomi Watts as Princess Diana, 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).  This trailer quickly pushes Diana towards the top of my “Do Not Give a Shit” List.  I don’t want to see a fawning portrait of Princess Diana, but that seems inevitable when you have lines like, “You’re so good at giving love.  The hard part is receiving love.”  I once met a woman who had a gigantic portrait of Princess Diana in her office.  It was weird.  I think she’d go for this movie.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.

Exclusive Media has released a new trailer and poster for director Anne Fontaine’s (Coco Before Chanel) drama Adore (previously titled Two Mothers).  The film stars Naomi Watts and Robin Wright as two lifelong friends who unexpectedly fall in love with each other’s sons, and must deal with the ramifications of their actions as their respective relationships progress over an extended period of time.  I caught the pic at Sundance (read my full review here) and it elicited a number of uncomfortable laughs from the audience.  Despite the fact that the film actually provides a few fascinating insights into relationships and love, it’s impossible to get over the fact that the plot is basically “Motherlover” expanded into a feature film.  Watts and Wright give strong performances, especially the latter, but this is indeed a peculiar pic.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer and poster.  The film also stars Xavier Samuel, James Frecheville, and Ben Mendelsohn.  Adore opens in theaters and will be available on iTunes on September 6th.

With eOne Films Diana getting released in the United Kingdom September 20th, we’re finally getting our first look at the movie in the form of a teaser trailer.  Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall) and starring Naomi Watts as Princess Diana, 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).  The Stephen Jeffreys‘ (The Libertine) script, based on the book Diana: Her Last Love by Kate Snell, also follows Diana’s life as she transitioned her fame toward becoming a global campaigner and humanitarian.

As you’ll see in the teaser, which interestingly has no dialogue, Diana will definitely showcase Watts acting chops, but I really hope it’s more than just a TV movie on the big screen.  Also, while the film is based on a book which featured “extensive interviews with close friends and confidantes,” all too often these kinds of films gloss over the facts to preserve the perfect image of their subject.  It’ll be interesting to see if they show any side of Diana besides a perfect image.  Hit the jump to watch the teaser trailer and for a few new images.

The Impossible is a tricky film to write about because there’s just something inherently tricky about the film itself. Maybe that’s because it’s based on a true story that often feels a little too impossible to believe. Or maybe it’s because that story has been so blatantly Hollywood-ized – with Spanish 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami survivors María Belón Alvárez and Tomás Belón recast as the impossibly blonde-haired and blue-eyed Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. Or maybe it’s because the finished film falls into a Hollywood genre that typically encourages us to revel in the onscreen wreckage, only here it’s impossible to do so without feeling weird – I mean, over 200,000 people died as a result of that really cool-looking wave! Anyway, these were the issues I had when I first saw The Impossible and which resurfaced while watching it on Blu-ray.  Hit the jump for my review.

Here’s today’s casting update:

• Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter series) is set to star in crime-thriller Tokyo Vice for music video/commercials director Anthony Mandler, scripted by playwright JT Rogers.
• Naomi Watts (King Kong) and Adam Driver (Girls) are in talks to join Ben Stiller (Zoolander) in the Noah Baumbach-directed midlife crisis comedy, While We’re Young.
• James D’Arcy (Cloud Atlas) and Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries) have joined the Luke Greenfield-directed comedy, Let’s Be Cops.

Hit the jump for more on each casting announcement.