The upcoming film Gucci, about the luxury Italian fashion house, has become a family affair both on and offscreen, as Ridley Scott‘s daughter Jordan Scott has replaced him as director of the story about Maurizio Gucci, grandson of the brand’s founder, and heir to the empire, who was gunned down in 1995.

The real starring role of the film though is that of Maurizio’s wife Patrizia, who in 1999 was jailed for ordering that murder of her husband.  The part was formerly tied to Angelina Jolie a few years ago when the elder Scott was directing, but now focus has shifted to Penelope Cruz.  For more on the project and how Gucci has a surprising link to Hollywood, hit the jump.

Premiering at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival was director Sergio Castellitto‘s Twice Born.  Based on the novel of the same name by Margaret Mazzantini, the film stars Penelope Cruz as a single mother who returns with her teen son to present-day Sarajevo where her son’s father (Emile Hirsch) died during the Bosnian conflict of the 1990s.  As she tries to repair the relationship with her son, new revelations force her to rethink everything.  The film also stars Mira Fulran and Jane Birkin and you can watch the first trailer here.

Before the world premiere, I landed an exclusive interview with Penelope Cruz.  We talked about a broad array of things, such as premiering at TIFF, social networking and email, why she wanted to make Twice Born, the type of research she does for a role, rehearsals, how many takes she likes to do and the way Woody Allen works, Pirates of the Caribbean 5, Pedro Almovodar‘s I’m So Excited (where she finally works with  Antonio Banderas) and more.  In addition, with Cruz currently filming Ridley Scott‘s The Counselor, we talked about why she signed on to the project and who she plays.  Hit the jump for the audio and transcript.

The first trailer for the drama Twice Born (aka Venuto al Mondo) has been released.  Based on the novel of the same name by Margaret Mazzantini, the film stars Penelope Cruz as a single mother who returns with her teen son to present-day Sarajevo where her son’s father (Emile Hirsch) died during the Bosnian conflict of the 1990s.  That plot isn’t exactly spelled out for us in this trailer, but damn does this movie look beautiful.  Writer/director Sergio Castellitto appears to have put together one hell of an emotional film with some hauntingly gorgeous visuals.  It’s tough to judge the performances from this dialogue-less trailer, but Twice Born is certainly one to keep on your radar.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film also stars Mira Fulran and Jane Birkin.  Twice Born will premiere at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival, which runs from September 6 – 16th.

With Gamescom wrapping up in Germany this weekend, a ton of new content has come out over the past week.   So today we’ve got a new trailer for Until Dawn (which looks like it could easily have been called The Cabin in the Woods), a new cut from The Last of Us featuring a haunting track by Hank Williams, and a look at the new adversaries for Team Fortress.  Marvel fans will be happy to hear that the comic company is getting ready to roll out a new mobile game, while a new trailer for Avengers: Battle for Earth has also dropped.  Oh, and we have a new trailer for Star Trek: The Game, plus a look at the newest expansion from World of Warcraft called “Mists of Pandaria.”  And we’ll wrap it all up with a video of Penelope Cruz dressed as Super Mario.  Yeah.  Hit the jump to get caught up!

We’ve got a few casting notes to share with you.  Here they are in brief:

• Terrence Howard (Iron Man) will join A Girl and a Gun, a modern LA thriller from writer/director Filip Jan Rymsza that also stars Juno Temple, Luis Guzman and Christopher Walken.  
• Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) has been cast in The Counselor alongside Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt.  Ridley Scott directs from a Cormac McCarthy script.  
• Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story) joins The Freezer as a kidnapping victim who is more than he appears.  The story, written by Tom Doganoglu and Shane Weisfeld, will be directed by Mikael Salomon.

Hit the jump for more details on each casting assignment.

Nine new images from writer/director Woody Allen’s new film To Rome With Love have been released.  The pic is comprised of four separate vignettes and “tells the story of a number of people in Italy—some American, some Italian, some residents, some visitors—and the romances and adventures and predicaments they get into.”  Allen stars alongside an impressive cast that includes Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Judy Davis, Alison Pill, and Greta Gerwig.

In related news, director Bob Weide’s must-see Woody Allen documentary is now available on Netflix Instant Watch.  I can’t recommend the film enough.  Whether you’re a Woody die-hard or just a casual fan, the film is incredibly entertaining and wildly engrossing as it takes an intimate look at Allen’s life and filmography complete with insightful thoughts from the man himself.  Do yourself a favor and carve out a couple hours this weekend to give it a whirl.  Hit the jump to check out the To Rome With Love images.  The film is in select theaters starting today.

Sony Pictures Classics announced today that it has acquired North American rights to writer/director Pedro Almodovar’s next film, I’m So Excited.  Plot details are firmly under wraps, but the pic is described as an ensemble comedy written and directed by the Talk to Her filmmaker.  The cast for I’m So Excited includes Javier Cámara, Cecilia Roth, Lola Dueñas, Raul Arévalo, Carlos Areces, Antonio de la Torre, Hugo Silva, and more, with “special collaborations” from Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz and Paz Vega.

Almodovar’s most recent film, last year’s The Skin I Live In, was met with a mixed yet enthusiastic response.  Production on I’m So Excited is scheduled to get underway next month for a release date sometime next year.  Hit the jump to read the press release, which includes the full cast list.

Though production is set to begin soon, director Ridley Scott isn’t finished adding top-shelf talent to his next film, The Counselor.  So far, Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie are in varying stages of signing on to the drama, and now Oscar winner Penelope Cruz is apparently eyeing a role.  Fassbender is set as the lead in the Cormac McCarthy-scripted project that centers on a respected lawyer who thinks he can dip his toe in the cocaine business without getting sucked down.  He teams up with a rich acquaintance (Bardem) for the new business that also brings in the shady type (Pitt).

Per THR, Cruz would play Fassbender’s love interest in the pic.  There was talk that Jolie was also circling the female lead, but other reports had her pegged for a smaller role given her tight schedule (she shoots Maleficent in June).  No official offer has been extended to Cruz, but she’s already entered talks to the part.  Whatever the case, Scott has already put together a stellar ensemble and I can’t wait to see the finished product.

The first trailer for Woody Allen’s To Rome with Love has gone online.  Per the synopsis: “The film is comprised of four separate vignettes and tells the story of a number of people in Italy—some American, some Italian, some residents, some visitors—and the romances and adventures and predicaments they get into.”  The vignette style has its advantages and disadvantages, and I can already tell from the trailer that there will most likely be more than a few stories that could test my patience.  Nevertheless, Allen himself is a standout in this trailer, as is the story involving Jesse Eisenberg, Alec Baldwin and Ellen Page.  The same can’t be said for Penelope Cruz or Robert Benigni‘s stories, both of which veer towards the farcical.  Those looking for a Rome take on Midnight in Paris will be sorely disappointed, as To Rome with Love looks to be much more of a straightforward comedy.  I’m a big fan of Allen’s, so I’m really hoping that his vignette pic delivers.  He’s got an impeccable cast to work with, so fingers crossed.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film also stars  Judy Davis, Alison Pill, and Greta Gerwig.  To Rome with Love opens on June 22nd.

An Italian news segment has provided a glimpse at some of the scenes in Woody Allen‘s To Rome with Love.  Per the synopsis: “The film is comprised of four separate vignettes and tells the story of a number of people in Italy—some American, some Italian, some residents, some visitors—and the romances and adventures and predicaments they get into.”  The movie will be Allen’s first starring role since Scoop, and you can catch a brief moment of him being his familiar neurotic character on an airplane.  There are also a few quick scenes featuring Roberto Benigni and Penelope Cruz.  The Italian reporter is talking over most of the scenes, but if you can’t wait for a new look at the latest Allen film, this is for you.

Hit the jump to check out the news segment.  The film also stars Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Alec Baldwin, Judy Davis, Alison Pill, and Greta Gerwig.  To Rome with Love opens June 22nd. [Warning: Video autoplays]

Earlier today we learned that Woody Allen’s latest film, Nero Fiddled, had been retitled To Rome With Love. Now the first images from the Rome-set pic have gone online. The film is comprised of four separate vignettes and tells the story of a number of people in Italy—some American, some Italian, some residents, some visitors—and the romances and adventures and predicaments they get into. I loved the hell out of Midnight in Paris and Allen taking a vignette approach to Rome is promising, so I’m really looking forward to the pic. Not to mention the stellar cast that includes Allen himself, Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Alison Pill, Greta Gerwig and Ellen Page.

After the jump you’ll find the first images from the film along with a full cast and soundtrack listing. To Rome With Love opens on June 22nd.

We’re only a few short days away from the 84th Academy Awards, which means all that prognosticating and “fake controversy” business will finally come to an end on Monday morning. Until next year, that is. Nevertheless, a number of presenters have been announced over the past few weeks and we figured we’d bring you a full list of all the pretty celebrities scheduled to appear during Sunday night’s telecast. Zach Galifianakis, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Emma Stone, The Muppets and the leading ladies from Bridesmaids will (hopefully) be bringing the funny, and today the Academy announced that last year’s winners in the acting categories will return to present. I really, really liked the way the awards were given out a few years back with past winners speaking directly to each of the nominees, so I’m hoping Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, Natalie Portman, and Colin Firth will be doing something similar.

Hit the jump to read the full list of presenters and performers, and be sure to check back this weekend to see how yours truly and Matt Goldberg think the awards will stack up in our predictions feature. Billy Crystal hosts the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday, February 26th.

Midnight in Paris is the best film Woody Allen has made in years. Whimsical, delightful and enchanting, it’s also one of the best times you’ll have at the movies all year. It’s this charm that I’m hoping Allen maintains for his next film The Bop Decameron, for which the full cast was just announced. Allen himself described this next effort as a “broad comedy,” and it’s set to shoot in Rome next month.

The cast for The Bop Decameron includes Allen himself, Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penélope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig and Ellen Page, with Alison Pill, Alessandra Mastronardi and more set to co-star. Hit the jump to read the full press release, which includes the full cast listing.

As a fan of the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, it’s going to be tough to find a bigger disappointment in 2011 than Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.  While it would be reasonable to expect that the sequel may not be as good as the original trilogy, the extent to which the film misunderstands story, pacing, action scenes, its own history, and its main characters, is mind-boggling.  The film does almost nothing right and it’s a tedious chore that sails through gigantic plotholes, lazy screenwriting, poor characterization, and reduces the scale and creativity of the previous films.  I would rather be cursed by the Aztecs, spend 100 years before the mast serving aboard the Flying Dutchman, and get devoured by a kraken than endure another viewing of On Stranger Tides.

It’s quite obvious that Johnny Depp loves playing the role of Captain Jack Sparrow, as much as the audience loves seeing him do it. Taking that into consideration, along with the fact that the first three films brought in $2.6 billion worldwide, it’s really no surprise at all that everyone signed on to do Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, opening in theaters on May 20^th.

At the film’s press day, Johnny Depp and co-star Penelope Cruz, who’s new to the franchise, along with director Rob Marshall and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, talked about reigniting the Pirates films, being sure to get the screenplay right before going into production, working in 3D, and where they would like to see things go for Pirates 5 and 6. Depp and Bruckheimer also hinted at what audiences can expect from The Lone Ranger, in which Depp will play Tonto. Check out what they had to say after the jump.