Posts with tag EwanMcgregor
Posted Jun 9th 2008 5:32PM by Jessica Barnes
Filed under: Thrillers, Mystery & Suspense, Sony, Religious, Images
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Having been one of the ten people on earth who hasn't read
The Da Vinci Code or
Angels and Demons, it's no surprise that I'm not terribly amped for the follow-up flick from
Ron Howard. But, I know I am in the minority here, so feast your eyes on
a new batch of photos (courtesy of Trovacinema) of
Tom Hanks and company hard at work on the big-screen
Angels and Demons. Most of the cast is pictured in the photos, and by the looks of it, everyone seems to be having a grand old time on location in Rome.
Demons will center on Robert Langdon (Hanks), who's smack dab in the middle of a fight between The Vatican and The Illuminati. Once again, the Harvard professor will have to take down an ancient conspiracy, but this time they have an eye on assassinating high-ranking members of the church. Casting finally finished back in April with the
addition of Ewan McGregor (which is a good thing for me, because if anyone can make me sit through a
film I normally wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole, it's McGregor), and
Ayelet Zurer as the daughter of a CERN physicist looking to solve her father's murder.
Shooting on the picture just began last week, and Howard will finish up location shots in the next three weeks. Then the production will move back to the states where they can complete interior shoots on the Sony lot. So as long as a
SAG strike can be avoided, Howard should be able to get the production in on time.
Angels and Demons is scheduled for release on May 15th, 2009.
Posted May 1st 2008 9:32AM by Elisabeth Rappe
Filed under: Comedy, Gay & Lesbian, Romance, Casting, Newsstand
I saw into the casting future, and it was through Dlisted.
The Hollywood Reporter has announced that
Rodrigo Santoro, last seen tall and glittery in
300, has been cast as
Jim Carrey's lover in
I Love You,Phillip Morris.
He is not the titular Phillip Morris, however. That honor still belongs to
Ewan McGregor. If you have forgotten the plot of this love caper, a married Jim Carrey is sent to prison, where he falls in love with his cellmate. When Morris is released, the infatuated Carrey escapes three times to be with him. Somewhere in the middle, though, he hooks up with Santoro.
While this is just now hitting the legitimate newswire, on Tuesday Dlisted had a photo of
the happy couple. (Don't ask me what I was doing on Dlisted, I don't have an answer!) So he has already been in the film long enough to get a wardrobe -- if that counts as wardrobe.
Since this is from the team of
Bad Santa, and has Leslie Mann as Carrey's dumped wife, I think there's potential even with the erratic Carrey. And I'm anxious to see McGregor in a bonafide comedy, as he was by far the best thing about
Down With Love. And it is rather fitting that he's the man Carrey changes teams for -- McGregor has topped that list for most of the guys I know. I bet we'll be seeing the full monty, too.
Posted Apr 25th 2008 12:02PM by James Rocchi
Filed under: Thrillers, Theatrical Reviews, 20th Century Fox
Deception, starring Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor, is being sold as an "erotic thriller." Any experienced cinemagoer knows that this phrase, which promises two things, usually indicates a film that will fail to deliver either. American studio films either tiptoe around sex or stomp on it with clown shoes, and the modern thriller often relies on activities that are not, and cannot ever be, thrilling -- electronic funds transfers, typing, mouse-clicking.
Deception, directed by Marcel Lanegger from a script by Mark Bomback, begins as
Ewan McGregor's lonely auditor Jonathan McQuarry labors late into the night in a huge conference room, vast windows looking out over the lights of the city. Shut in, walled-away, cut-off, Jonathan is worse than miserable; he's invisible. But then
Hugh Jackman's brash, blunt Wyatt Bose waltzes in, makes some small talk, sparks up a joint. It's not what Jonathan's used to. Then again, he hates what he's used to.
Continue reading Review: Deception
Posted Apr 25th 2008 10:02AM by Eugene Novikov
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting
Even the most enthusiastic devotee of big-budget Hollywood is bound to have a few movies which he trudges to see out of a sense of duty rather than excitement. For me it's (among other things)
Ron Howard's
Da Vinci Code franchise, based on the borderline illiterate but ultra-popular books by Dan Brown. It is out of that same sense of obligation that I report to you the
impending recruitment of
Ewan McGregor to star alongside
Tom Hanks in
Angels & Demons, the prequel to the first film. McGregor will play Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca, a Papal aide who helps Hanks's intrepid symbologist stop an attack on the Vatican. As we
suspected yesterday,
Munich's
Ayelet Zurer is also on board to play Vittoria Vetra, the daughter of a murdered physicist who tags along with the hero scientist. (This is contrary to earlier reports that
Naomi Watts had scored the part.)
The main reason I have little hope for
Angels & Demons is that, as with the first film, the screenplay will be written by
Akiva Goldsman, who may be my least favorite working screenwriter. Ewan McGregor is a splendid actor, but Goldsman's dull, leaden dialogue managed to defeat even
Sir Ian McKellen. As
The Da Vinci Code proved, Goldsman and Brown are one deadly combination.
We've got a ways to go:
Angels & Demons comes out next May. I think I'll go back to not thinking about it now, if you don't mind.
Posted Apr 23rd 2008 4:02PM by Matt Bradshaw
Filed under: Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Box Office Predictions
Everyone who took part in last week's competition, myself included, failed to foresee
The Forbidden Kingdom outdoing
Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but the martial arts actioner was the clear winner.
Prom Night held on to third place, content in the knowledge that it had already earned back its $20 million budget last week. Here's the rundown:
1. The Forbidden Kingdom: $20.9 million
2. Forgetting Sarah Marshall: $17.3 million
3. Prom Night: $9.1 million
4. 88 Minutes: $6.8 million
5. Nim's Island: $5.7 million
Opening this week, we have:
What's It All About: Tina Fey plays an executive dying to be a mother, and when she finds out she's unable to conceive, she must turn to a flaky but fertile
Amy PoehlerWhy It Might Do Well: Fey is awesome on
30 Rock, and though I usually get flack for saying this, I thought the Fey/Poehler Weekend Update team on
SNL was one of the best in the show's history. And with a supporting cast that includes
Sigourney Weaver, Steve Martin and
Maura Tierney, I am so there. The 88% fresh rating from
Rottentomatoes.com is icing on the cake.
Why It Might Not Do Well: The poster is so darn zany I could just puke.
Number of Theaters: 2,500
Prediction: $18 million
Continue reading Box Office: Deception at Guantanamo Bay
Posted Apr 17th 2008 6:32PM by Jessica Barnes
Filed under: Thrillers, 20th Century Fox, Movie Marketing, Posters
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You know that feeling you get when something looks so familiar but you just can't put your finger on it? Well, that's how I felt after I saw the latest poster release for
Marcel Langenegger's,
Deception (see to the right, and click to enlarge). After a furious search to try and figure out just what it was about the poster that was so familiar, I came up empty. Luckily, the sharp eyes over at the Ropes of Silicon boards noticed the poster was almost
identical to
The Prestige.
Ewan McGregor stars as Jonathan, a buttoned down accountant who is swept up in a mysterious sex club called 'The List'.
Hugh Jackman plays his lawyer friend who leads Jonathan down the 'rabbit hole' involving a missing girl and a million dollar fraud. There aren't that many differences between this latest poster release and the previous release -- in fact, there are only a few minor differences. The most noticeable being that Jackman had a lot more real estate on
the first poster than he does now. On the upside, we actually get to see McGregor's face this time around.
After watching
the trailer, I'll admit that there is no way I would see this film if Jackman and McGregor were not starring (it just has a late night, skinemax vibe). Plus, the film bears a striking resemblance to the 1990 thriller
Bad Influence (it even looks like McGregor borrowed
James Spader's glasses).
Deception is set for release on April 25th, and I can't help but wonder if Fox released this poster in hopes of drumming up some much-needed business.
Posted Apr 7th 2008 8:32PM by Jessica Barnes
Filed under: Comedy, Romance, Casting
Before I get started, I just wanted to say that anyone who was undecided as to whether or not
Knocked Up was
sexist, probably wasn't really paying too close attention to
Leslie Mann's performance. Mann's portrayal of a woman forced into being the bad cop because her husband isn't into the whole 'grown up' thing was one of the best things about that film. Now she's heading for another 'wronged wife' role, and
The Hollywood Reporter announced that Mann has joined the cast of
I Love You, Phillip Morris.
Phillip Morris is based on the true life story of Steven Russell (as played by
Jim Carrey). Russell was a married family man whose criminal exploits landed him in the Texas prison system. While incarcerated, Russell fell in love with his cell mate, Phillip Morris (
Ewan McGregor). After Morris' release, Russell concocted a variety of bizarre escape attempts in hopes of reuniting with the love of his life.
Continue reading Leslie Mann Joins 'I Love You Phillip Morris'
Posted Mar 26th 2008 6:32PM by Monika Bartyzel
Filed under: Drama, RumorMonger
One of the films I've been itching to see, which can't even seem to get itself in front of the camera, is
Jodie Foster's Flora Plum. For at least the last ten years, there has been buzz about this film, which was originally going to star
Claire Danes, out of
My So-Called Life and into Yale, and
Russell Crowe. But just like bad luck has loomed in Terry Gilliam's world of filmmaking, Foster just can't seem to get it made.
Crowe injured himself and production stopped. He never returned to the project and
later in 2002, there was word that
Ewan McGregor was taking over. Again, it stopped. Yet Foster is still determined to get the film made. She talked with
MTV, and is still very invested in getting it made. However, she's being wary about how much she says, for fear that she'll jinx herself. "My new superstition is to never mention it, because every time I do, my film falls apart." From there, she talks about finally jumping behind the camera again, over a decade since her last directorial effort,
Home for the Holidays.
Continue reading The Return of Jodie Foster's 'Flora Plum!?'
Posted Jan 17th 2008 4:32PM by Jessica Barnes
Filed under: Drama, Casting, RumorMonger, Movie Marketing
After all of these years, I never thought I would be reading an MTV interview with legendary director Woody Allen, but I guess that times change. MTV recently
spoke to Allen about the rumors regarding another possible project with muse-of-the-moment
Scarlett Johansson. Turns out
Page Six had it all wrong and there is no
New York, I Love You film that will reunite the actress and director for the third time in a row. Allen was hard at work doing promotion for
Cassandra's Dream with
Colin Farrell and
Ewan McGregor when the subject of the anthology film came up in conversation. Allen told MTV that the whole Page Six story was "A complete and total fabrication. Made up like a poem by Coleridge. Completely untrue. It wasn't even grounded in any conversations or anything." This might lead me to believe that some of those other Johansson casting announcements were a little premature as well.
Allen has just wrapped up his latest film,
Vicky Cristina Barcelona with Johansson,
Javier Bardem and
Penélope Cruz. Just because the NY anthology flick is not going to happen, I seriously doubt that
Barcelona is the last we will see of the pairing. When it comes to Johansson, it seems like the guy can't stop gushing: "She's very charming, very bright, very amusing. She livens the set up. The minute she walks on the set, the amperage goes up 200 points. She's a great kid and very talented. She can sing. She can do dramatic things and jokes if you need her to. Whenever there's a part she could play, she would probably always be my first choice." But as any Woody Allen fan can tell you, the man loves the ladies and I'm sure her humor and talent aren't the only '
attributes' that the man admires.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona hits theaters this fall.
Posted Dec 18th 2007 11:36AM by Jessica Barnes
Filed under: Comedy, Romance, Casting, Newsstand
Well, I guess if you are looking to cast an unlikely couple, then
Ewan McGregor and
Jim Carrey would probably be at the top of the list.
Variety reports that McGregor has signed to play the romantic lead opposite Jim Carrey in the black comedy,
I Love You Philip Morris. The film centers on Steven Russell (Carrey), a Texas conman who fell in love with his cellmate, Phillip Morris (played by McGregor). The script is based on the true story of Russell and his various escape attempts to be with his true love. Some of the more elaborate attempts included "using a green pen and bucket of water to change his prison outfit into what appeared to be surgical scrubs, another time by faking his death from AIDS and signing his own death certificate". But all did not end well for the lovers and while Morris eventually made it out of prison, Russell managed to earn a 144 year sentence for his various escape attempts.
The film is the directorial debut of
Glenn Ficarra and
John Requa, who are best known as the writers of
Bad Santa. Ficarra and Requa also wrote the script based off of crime reporter
Steve Mcvicker's novel. The film is set to start production as soon as Carrey is finished with
Robert Zemeckis' latest foray into motion capture,
A Christmas Carol (where Carrey is set to play multiple parts). McGregor has already lined up the Hitchcock-inspired
Number 13 and the big-screen version of
I, Lucifer for 2008. Plus, he has just finished work on
The List with
Hugh Jackman -- now that's the on-screen couple I've been hoping for; but no such luck.
Posted Sep 23rd 2007 8:02PM by Jessica Barnes
Filed under: Drama, Casting, Deals
When you look at the resume of noted actor
Ben Kingsley, you notice that for every good role he has done, there is
something a little less "dignified" right beside it (even earning him a spot on
Jeffrey's list of the Seven Most Overrated Actors). Luckily, it doesn't look like his latest role will fall into that latter category.
The Hollywood Reporter announced that Kingsley has signed on to play William Shakespeare in the literary adaptation,
Will. The film is based on the
novel by Christopher Rush, and is a fictional account of the playwright on his deathbed as he prepares his final will and testament. The book was only just released, but managed to garner a six-figure deal between the publisher and SBK Pictures (Kingsley's own production company) for the film rights. The book is part biography and part fiction, and Kingsley was quoted as saying, "Christopher wrote the most amazing, literate and entertaining novel I've read in years, and I'm both honored and excited to be part of bringing 'Will' to life".
If you are not a fan of the bard, Kingsley still has his share of projects lined up for the coming year. He has just wrapped production on
The Wackness with Mary Kate Olsen (which has the dubious distinction of featuring an on-screen kiss between the two). Then it's off to the Hitchcock-inspired mystery
Number 13 with
Ewan McGregor and
Dan Fogler (
Fanboys) as Alfred Hitchcock and
The Love Guru with Mike Myers. Last but not least, it has been announced that Kingsley will be joining the the Coen's comedy caper
Gambit, with Colin Firth.
Will is expected to begin shooting in the UK sometime next year.
Posted Sep 20th 2007 5:33PM by Patrick Walsh
Filed under: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, Scripts, James Bond, Comic/Superhero/Geek
The upcoming futuristic thriller Franklyn will offer something for the fellas (the gorgeous Eva Green) and something for the ladies (the man-gorgeous Ryan Phillippe). The film will be set simultaneously in both contemporary London and a faith-dominated future metropolis without separation of church and state. According to Variety, the film will tell the story of "four lost souls divided by two parallel worlds on course for an explosive collision when a single bullet will decide all their fates." It's Sliding Doors meets The Matrix! Sounds mighty confusing, but I'm intrigued. The film will co-star Sam Riley, who plays Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis in Control (read James' positive review here).
First-time director Gerald McMorrow wrote the screenplay and will direct the film. According to IMDb, John Hurt is in the Franklyn cast as well, but since that's not part of the Variety announcement, take that with a grain of salt for now. The movie has undergone a lot of casting changes, it seems. Last we heard about the project, Ewan McGregor was attached to star, but it appears that is no longer the case. Paul Bettany was attached to the Riley role at one point. I don't know much about Riley, but I do know getting Phillippe for McGregor is something of a step down. Phillippe is improving, though, I must give him props for holding his own against an incredible Chris Cooper performance in the too little-seen Breach. Green is probably best known as Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, but holds a special place in my pants heart for her almost entirely nude performance in The Dreamers. Dreamy.
Posted Sep 13th 2007 11:02AM by Monika Bartyzel
Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Theatrical Reviews, Festival Reports, Cinematical Indie
When the lights dim and the first moments shine upon the screen, you know that you're watching a
Woody Allen film. That classic font smiles, and we quickly get the cast of characters. There's no long, music-laden intro -- just a quick rundown of the top names and then into the story. That's where the similarities to classic Allen die, though, but maybe it's time to stop comparing Allen to the works of his past. Over his last few films, the filmmaker has broken out of the mold. This time around, however, the mold might have helped keep things together.
Cassandra's Dream is an interesting but superficial film that isn't sure if it wants to be a light drama or a dark comedy.
Colin Farrell and
Ewan McGregor star as brothers Terry and Ian. Terry is a mechanic with a penchant for gambling, while Ian is a wannabe businessman who bides his time in the family restaurant while he waits for his big financial break. Terry has been having quite the winning streak -- he keeps betting himself into a corner, and then comes out with a big win every time. After betting on a race dog with 60-1 odds at the races, he comes into a bit of money, and he and his brother buy a boat that they name 'Cassandra's Dream', after the winning dog. Ian, meanwhile, runs into a beautiful actress named Angela (
Hayley Atwell), who is having car troubles on the side of the road, and he falls hard.
Continue reading TIFF Review: Cassandra's Dream
Posted Aug 20th 2007 12:08PM by Ryan Stewart
Filed under: Drama, Thrillers, Trailer Trash, The Weinstein Co., Toronto International Film Festival, Cinematical Indie
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The international trailer for Woody Allen's Cassandra's Dream has arrived on a French website, complete with subtitles, and I have sort of a mixed reaction to it. It seems like a poor trailer for what might be a great movie. The clip doesn't really give us a clear understanding of exactly how the brothers, Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor, get into deep money troubles -- some kind of gambling debts? -- but it does seem pretty clear that the film is going to have a body count in the same way Match Point had one, which can only be a good thing, considering how good that film was.
Also, after watching the trailer, I have a feeling that Colin Farrell might be the revelation here. These days it's almost hard to remember that he used to be considered a rising acting talent, with movies like Tigerland under his belt. Lately he's been known more for tabloid exploits and for Alexander, Phone Booth, Ask the Dust and assorted other bad choices, but somehow I think this part is going to give him some opportunities he might run with.
Tom Wilkinson also seems to have an interesting role in the film, but the real question mark is Hayley Atwell. Woody is clearly trying to launch her as a star with this movie, but who knows if he'll succeed. (What I've seen of her so far isn't terribly impressive.) Cassandra's Dream is premiering at the Venice Film Festival and then moving on to Toronto, where Woody will be on hand to hopefully dole out a few interviews and maybe give some new information about his next film, Midnight in Barcelona.
Posted Jun 19th 2007 9:01AM by Monika Bartyzel
Filed under: Drama, DVD Reviews, Family Films, Home Entertainment
For those who aren't itching for more big explosions and
yippee kai yay exclamations, there's another
DVD that's hitting the stands today --
Renée Zellweger and
Ewan McGregor's Miss Potter. The film, which was in theaters earlier this year, is based on the life of Beatrix Potter, the creator of
Peter Rabbit and the famous collection of children's books and merchandise that came after it. While by no means a complete portrait of her life, the film delves into the progressively-minded storyteller/artist as she fights to free herself of her parental restraints and be her own woman during the first years of the 20th century.
Having been inundated with Potter paraphernalia as a child, I was curious to get a look into the famous woman's life. How does the film work? It's not terrible, but not terribly great either. Unfortunately, the movie starts with Zellweger doing a voice-over which is way too much like
Bridget Jones, so it takes a bit to wipe memories of the actress' previous role and get into the life of Beatrix. Beyond that,
Miss Potter is one of those stories that gives genuine moments of laughter and sadness, intermingled with real-life happenings, but it's also one without a strong focus. Sure, our attention is directed towards Potter, but you're not sure in what context -- a love story, a story of female power, a story of family or a story of friendship. While each of these elements is present, it's not in a fluid way. This would be okay with a non-linear story, but in this context, it makes for uneven storytelling.
Continue reading DVD Review: Miss Potter
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