Jeff Bridges to play an exorcist in The Seventh Son

Oscar winner Jeff Bridges has signed on to play an exorcist in The Seventh Son, formerly titled The Last Apprentice and The Spook's Apprentice.

Bridges, who'll next be seen on these shores in his Oscar-nominated lead role in the Coen brothers' True Grit, will play Spook, an exorcist who trains up apprentice Thomas (the role earmarked for Pettyfer).

The movie will be based on the first in a series of books (what fantasy film isn't these days?), so expect this to be labelled the new Harry Potter, Twilight, I Am Number Four, etc…

Set in the 1700s, the character of Thomas will be older than he is in the books (where he's 12) to suit Pettyfer, who's still working hard to steal Robert Pattinson's Brit heartthrob crown.

Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) is said to be circling the role of a suspected witch.

The Seventh Son will be directed by Sergey Bodrov (Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan).

Bridges is following in the footsteps of Anthony Hopkins, who recently played an exorcist trainer in The Rite.

Source: Collider

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Kristen Stewart in first official On the Road pics

We've previously seen some grainy pap shots from the set of On the Road, and now a bunch of official new images have landed on Sky Movies.

Twilight star Kristen Stewart features prominently, in another role that looks set to prove that there's life after Bella.

She's playing Mary Lou in the movie, which is based on the semi-autobiographical tome by Beat Generation icon Jack Kerouac.

Sam Riley (Control, Brighton Rock) and Garrett Hedlund (TRON: Legacy) star as Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, the stand-ins for real-life figures Kerouac and Neal Cassady.

On their travels they'll be bumping into an ultra-hip cast, including Kirsten Dunst, Amy Adams, Elisabeth Moss, Viggo Mortensen and Steve Buscemi.

Director Walter Salles has form with road movies, having previously been behind two blinding entries in the genre: Central Station and The Motorcycle Diaries.

As well as the shot of Kristen above, there are two more new snaps below:

On the Road is due to be released later this year.

Source: Sky Movies

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The Queen herself is a fan of The King’s Speech

The King’s Speech is a seriously hot contender at the Oscars this year, with a massive 12 nominations in the annual competition.

Clearly it has a lot of fans out there – including, apparently, Queen Elizabeth II herself (who is played in the film by young Freya Wilson).

An insider at the monarch’s household has revealed that the Queen received two copies of the film just before Christmas and watched it at Sandringham House.

“The Queen loves a good film,” the insider tells The Sun. “The King's Speech is close to the bone as it is a portrayal of her family in the 1930s, but she found it moving and enjoyable.

“She was clearly amused by some of the lighter moments.”

Nice to know who HRH will be backing when the Oscar winners are announced during the ceremony on 27 February.

Source: The Sun

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No Great Gatsby for Baz Luhrmann after all?

Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic The Great Gasby doesn’t seem to be as much of a done deal as we’ve all taken it to be.

The director, who’s talked about filming in 3D and casting Carey Mulligan as Daisy, has revealed he still hasn’t officially signed on to the adap.

Speaking with Vulture, he revealed: “I gotta make a decision in three days’ time [on] whether to do it or not.

He added: “I think I’ve been a bit shaded out because I want everything to be perfectly positioned on it, there will be news by the end of the week.”

The famously perfectionist director has only made four films in a career that spans almost 20 years; clearly he’s very selective about what he makes.

Is this just a ploy to get a pay boost? Or is Luhrmann genuinely uncertain? Guess we’ll find out by the end of the week…

Source: Vulture

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Julia Roberts in talks for Brothers Grimm Snow White

"If Charlize Theron can do it, so can I." That’s what Julia Roberts is probably saying to herself, having entered into talks to play the Evil Queen in The Brothers Grimm: Snow White.

With three Snow White films currently in production, this is going to get seriously confusing. In short: Roberts would play the Queen in Tarsem Singh’s Brothers Grimm movie, while Theron is playing the villainess in Snow White And The Huntsman.

A further third Snow film – Snow And The Seven – is currently being written by Toy Story 3 scribe Michael Arndt over at Disney.

Being directed in 3D by Singh, Brothers Grimm: Snow White has no cast yet attached. But the signing of Roberts would be a coup for the production, which has fallen behind competitor Huntsman in the casting department.

It would definitely be a shake-up to the routine for Roberts, who generally prefers rom-coms over the sort of stylised production that Grimm will no doubt turn into.

Now if they could just cast neice Emma Roberts as Snow White, that'd make it a proper family affair.

Source: Vulture

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Katie Holmes 'devastated by film response'

Son Of No One producer Cassian Elwes has revealed that Katie Holmes is "very upset" by the apparently negative response generated by the movie at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

It was previously alleged that a screening of the film at the Utah gathering culminated in a "mass exodus" from the theatre by audiences who found the movie too bad to sit through.

However, Elwes stood behind both Holmes and the film itself, claiming that several studios have shown interest in giving it a wider release.

"Despite Katie's few scenes, she was fantastic in the role," he told US Weekly.

"We've already received three offers on the film. We're 100% behind her and the entire cast's performances in this film."

Elwes continued: "There wasn't a mass exodus. The people who did see it, liked the film. [Katie] loves the film and she's great in it. She's very upset by this attack."

Statham happy to be an action film star

Jason Statham has claimed that he would only take on acting roles outside of the action genre if they were good enough.

Statham, best known for starring in action-heavy films likes The Transporter and Crank, says that he doesn't often get offered interesting enough roles in other genres to consider them.

"You know, it's tough, because people will always keep saying to me, 'Do you only see yourself doing action movies?' and I don't know," Statham told MTV News, when asked whether he felt typecast.

"It's very difficult because one day I might be asked to do something that is of quality in a different genre, but the films that come in from different genres aren't that great.

"So I end up not doing them because once you make a mistake in that area, you can't go back," Statham added. "So, if I do go into something else, it will be because it is good."

The actor recently confirmed that he would be involved in the upcoming sequel to The Expendables.

Statham can currently be seen in cinemas alongside Donald Sutherland in a remake of The Mechanic.

Crowe to take break from Hollywood

Russell Crowe has revealed that he is giving up Hollywood for the next year.

The 46-year-old Aussie actor, who has starred in three US films in the past two years, said that he wants to stay in his home country to work on expanding his movie portfolio.

Crowe told The Daily Telegraph: "I don't really have any plans to go overseas and make any movies this year. We've got a lot of things going on in Australia and I need to spend some time here to solidify and build.

"We've got a bunch of projects we've been developing, one of them for the last seven years. For the next little while I want to become part of this magic wave that is rising in Australian film again. It's feeling really good. The energy is here."

Great roles actors have turned down

It's not easy for actors to pick a classic movie role – you have to find the right script, cross your fingers that the director and co-stars are talented and, most of all, just have to rely on blind luck that the audience responds to both the film and the character.

Not an exact science then. Doesn't excuse some actors though. We take a look at some Hollywood stars who made the baffling decision to turn down soon-to-be iconic roles.

Julia Roberts

She may have had 'Pretty Woman', but Julia Roberts could have cornered the romantic comedy market all by herself if she hadn't turned down the chance to star in 'Sleepless in Seattle', 'Shakespeare in Love' and 'While You Were Sleeping'. While her loss would eventually be Meg Ryan, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sandra Bullock's gain, it wasn't just romance films she was turning down – she also decided to pass on erotic thriller 'Basic Instinct'. The 1992 move made Sharon Stone a household name.

Bruce Willis

Romantic weepie 'Ghost' could have been slightly different if Bruce Willis had played the lead character. However, he wasn't sure about playing a ghost – much to Patrick Swayze's delight. Maybe realising his mistake, he would eventually play a member of the undead in the classic 'The Sixth Sense'.

David Schwimmer

'Friends' was still going strong at the tail end of the 90s, and those that weren't named Jennifer Aniston were still getting sent movie scripts. One called 'Men in Black' headed Schwimmer's way. The part was of J, the younger of the two lead agents. However, Schwimmer decided it wasn't for him, allowing Will Smith a chance to take not only the role but pretty much announce to the world that he was a genuine movie star.

Sir Sean Connery

The Scottish actor has made a few film choice errors – most notably passing on the chance to be in two of the biggest blockbuster series in recent history. While you can't now imagine anyone else playing Gandalf other than Sir Ian McKellen, Connery was in fact the first actor to be offered the role. However, the thought of filming three films back-to-back didn't appeal to Connery, nor did the fact that he didn't understand the script. He also turned down the chance to play Morpheus in 'The Matrix' because he, yet again, couldn't get his head around the story. Fearing another blockbuster oversight he decided to make 'League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'. The result? A superhero film that was not only a huge flop, but promptly saw him retire from acting.

Will Smith

Sir Sean Connery wasn't the only one to have been confused by 'The Matrix's script. Will Smith passed on the chance to play Neo – a role that became an iconic one for Keanu Reeves. Smith would later explain, “You know, 'The Matrix' is a difficult concept to pitch. In the pitch, I just didn’t see it. I watched Keanu’s performance – and very rarely do I say this – but I would have messed it up. I would have absolutely messed up 'The Matrix'. At that point I wasn’t smart enough as an actor to let the movie be. Whereas Keanu was smart enough to just let it be. Let the movie and the director tell the story, and don’t try and perform every moment.”

Joaquin Phoenix

Before Joaquin Phoenix wowed critics in 'Gladiator', the actor was desperate to make his mark on the big screen following his accomplished performance in 'To Die For' years earlier. While he rejected roles in teen horror films like 'Scream', he also passed on two iconic roles of the 90s. He had a meeting with Paul Thomas Anderson to discuss playing the lead role in 'Boogie Nights'. While Anderson was impressed with Phoenix, the intense actor was unsure about playing a porn star and ended up passing on the project – much to Mark Wahlberg's eternal thanks. There was also a chance for Phoenix to play Ed Norton's part in 'American History X'. But again, the subject matter proved too distasteful for him and he promptly rejected it.

Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin must curse under his breath at the mere mention of Harrison Ford. The '30 Rock' star was the first to play Tom Clancy's fictional CIA analyst Jack Ryan in the thriller 'The Hunt for Red October'. Reportedly fearing that Baldwin didn’t have enough box office appeal to lead a potential James Bond-esque franchise the studio instead turned to Ford for the two Jack Ryan sequels. And it was to get worse for Baldwin, who turned down the plum role of Dr Richard Kimble in the movie version of the hit 60s show 'The Fugitive' – a role that eventually went to Ford!

Tom Hanks

Hank was offered the lead roles in 'Field of Dreams' and 'Shawshank Redemption', but eventually passed on the projects. Both would have played up to Hank's everyman persona, but how different would 'Jerry Maguire' have been if Hanks had played the arrogant and unravelling sports agent?
We'll never know, as Cameron Crowe had to turn to his second choice instead after Hanks said no. It ended up being arguably Tom Cruise's greatest role.

Warren Beatty

Warren Beatty has made some great films, and some not so great ones ('Dick Tracy' anyone?). However, it's obvious he's not the greatest at picking scripts – rejecting the chance to play Burt Reynolds’ character in 'Boogie Nights' and James Caan's career comeback role in 'Misery'. He also turned down Robert Redford's part in 'The Sting' and the role of Gordon Gekko in 'Wall Street'. Wait, there's more. Beatty also felt that the role of Bill in Quentin Tarantino's 'Kill Bill' wasn't for him

Henry Cavill cast as Superman

British actor Henry Cavill has been cast as Superman in Zack Snyder's Superman: Man Of Steel.

The actor, currently known for starring as Charles Brandon in TV series The Tudors, was very close to winning the part of Batman for 2005's Batman Begins, but director Christopher Nolan felt he was too young.

Well now Cavill has come of age, and how.

Christopher Nolan - now 'Creative Godfather' for the Superman reboot - and director Zack Snyder, have given the 27 year-old one of the biggest roles in cinema.

Synder said; "In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time, and I am honored to be a part of his return to the big screen.

"I also join Warner Bros., Legendary (pictures) and the producers in saying how excited we are about the casting of Henry.

"He is the perfect choice to don the cape and S shield."

Though hardly an unknown akin to predecessor Brandon Routh, Cavill has yet to prove himself in a big-screen leading role.

And despite the obvious pressure of the job, his biggest test might be getting US audiences to buy a Brit as the most American of superheroes.

Cavill will next be seen in the upcoming Immortals alongside Mickey Rourke (pictured above).
Superman: Man Of Steel is due in cinemas December, 2012.

Source: E! Online

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Toy Story 3 writer tapped for Snow And The Seven

 

Good to see that Javier Bardem isn’t the only one benefitting from a little Oscar nomination exposure.

Oscar-winning screenwriter Michael Ardnt has just been nominated for his second baldie (he bagged his first for the script of Little Miss Sunshine) for Toy Story 3, and Disney are taking note.

They’ve just hired him to pen their 19th century retelling of the Snow White fairytale, Snow And The Seven - not to be confused with Universal's Snow White And The Huntsman starring Viggo Mortensen (and possible Kristen Stewart).

Snow And The Seven teleports the story to the East, where an Englishwoman returns to Hong Kong for her father’s funeral.

There, she discovers that her stepmother is scheming against her. Fleeing to mainland China, the young woman takes refuge with a band of seven international warriors.

It’s a bizarre concept that is no doubt aiming for a Tangled-inspired overhaul – we’re sure with those warriors in tow the film will feature no end of spectacular fight sequences.

Natalie Portman has been offered the role of Snow, but her pregnancy could see her dropping the part. If that happens, expect a scrum of Hollywood actresses to give chase.

Source: Heat Vision

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Johnny Depp joins Oz The Great And Powerful

Robert Downey Jr’s busy schedule continues to keep him away from awesome-sounding movies, with his other film commitments having resulted in him dropping out of Sam Raimi’s upcoming Wizard Of Oz spin-off Oz, The Great And Powerful.

Though he was only unofficially attached to the film, Downey Jr. has now officially departed the production – echoing his departure from Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity late last year.

Lucky for him – and us – a stellar replacement has been found in the form of Johnny Depp, whose own schedule is equally packed, but who is currently negotiating to take on the project.

Depp would play the role of a snake-oil salesman who enters Oz using a hot air balloon, and falls in love with Glinda the Good Witch.

With Disney keen to begin filming this summer, Depp’s got a busy year ahead. He’s also shooting Dark Shadows this spring with Tim Burton, as well as The Lone Ranger.

Source: Heat Vision

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Lethal Weapon remake in the works

Remakes are here to stay, and there’s nothing you can do about it. That seems to be the general message Warner Bros are sending out this week.

The studio have unveiled a list of films that they'll be rebooting and/or remaking at some point in the near future. Warning: this list has blood-boiling potential.

Their catalogue of remake-worthy films includes the likes of Lethal Weapon, Westworld, Oh God, The Dirty Dozen, Tarzan and The Wild Bunch.

Of the titles there, Lethal Weapon is the current front-runner, with Will Beall reportedly hired to pen a script for a new film (Mel Gibson's Lethal Weapon 5 is now dead in the water).

Beall recently paired up with Zombieland’s Ruben Fleischer to write Gangster Squad, which Fleischer will direct.

It all smacks of cynical money-grabbing – using a famous title to draw in audiences where a new title might not be quite so successful. Can something good come out of any of these? Does anybody even care anymore?

Source: Heat Vision

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Matrix 4 and 5 3D on the horizon?

Keanu Reeves is reportedly keen on returning to one of his most profitable movie franchises by starring in The Matrix 4 and 5.

The actor recently appeared at a key notes speech at the London School Of Performing Arts, and one lucky attendee dropped by Ain’t It Cool News, reporting on what Reeves said about possible further Matrixes.

According to informant ‘El Nino’, Reeves met with the Wachowskis over Christmas, and they talked to him about a two-film treatment they’d just completed “that would see him return to the world of the matrix as Neo”.

Not only that, but the Wachowskis have also apparently met with James Cameron about creating the movies in 3D.

File this firmly under ‘rumour mill musings’ for now, as AICN’s source has yet to be verified by, well, anybody, and his claims are all rather fantastical.

But it’s definitely got us thinking about what any further Matrix adventures might involve, especially as Reeves' character was all but doomed at the end of final film Revolutions…

Source: Ain't It Cool News

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Red Lights cast adds Elizabeth Olsen

Elizabeth Olsen, the sister of better-known twins Mary-Kate and Ashley, has signed up to star in paranormal thriller Red Lights.

Joining a stellar cast that includes Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro and Cillian Murphy, Olsen will be directed by Rodrigo Cortés, whose Buried was one of last year’s most inventive and best-reviewed movies.

“Robert plays a world renowned psychic and Sigourney is a psychology professor, and I play her student,” Olsen tells Risky Business.

“Cillian Murphy is my love interest, though that’s not a huge part of the story.” Together, Weaver and Olsen’s characters investigate De Niro’s activities as a so-called psychic.

Two of Olsen’s films are currently showing at Sundance, with both Silent House and Martha Marcy May Marlene well-received by audiences.

Source: Risky Business

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Ewen Bremner talks Trainspotting 2

Ewen Bremner said he was keen to reprise his role of Spud in a sequel to Trainspotting when Total Film sat down with him at Park City's ski-lift to talk about his new film, Perfect Sense - which sees him re-team with Ewan McGregor for a third time.

The duo have remained friends since first starring in Trainspotting and have since worked together on Black Hawk Down.

'Trainspotting was a magic bullet for a lot of people. There's certainly scope [for a sequel] and Irving Welsh wrote Porno about the characters ten years later," Bremner said but intimated that everyone, including director Danny Boyle, might be a bit busy for an immediate start.

"I think we might do it when we're in our sixties or seventies!"

"They're all great actors and great people to work with and I always appreciate the opportunity to work with good people."

Bremner plays a sous-chef to McGregor's head chef in David McKenzie's haunting romantic sci-fi apocalypse flick that has generated significant buzz and distribution offers at Sundance.

He's not surprised at the praise for the film and his same-named friend and co-star.

"I was moved by it, and that doesn't often happen - especially when you know people in real life."

"But Ewan's excellent in it, really great. It's a film to be reckoned with."

Want to see Trainspotting 2? Or should they leave it? Let us know...

Judi Dench confirms Bond 23

Bond 23 has finally been given a green light after sitting in the freezer for the whole of 2010, which means things can finally start moving along on the troubled production.

With Daniel Craig confirmed to be returning as 007, and director Sam Mendes still onboard to oversee proceedings, it’s time to flesh out the rest of the cast and crew.

First on the list, naturally, is Dame Judi Dench as Bond’s boss M, who's already appeared in six Bond films starting with 1995's Goldeneye.

While out receiving an outstanding achievement award at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards, the veteran actress has confirmed that she will be returning in the next film.

"My lips are sealed," she teased. "I can't tell you anything at all! Of course I'm looking forward hugely to working with Daniel again and with Sam, who I've only ever worked with in theatre.

"So that'll all be good fun to do. I'm so glad it's coming back, it's wonderful." Hear, hear.
Bond 23 opens on 9 November, 2012.

Source: MI6

Audrey Tautou signs on to star in La Delicatesse

Audrey Tautou is staying within her comfort zone for whimsical romantic melodrama La Delicatesse.

The French actress has signed on for the film, and she'll star opposite Francois Damiens, who recently appeared in the cross-channel breakout Heartbreaker.

The film will be the first feature directed by David and Stephane Foenkinos (with the pair adapting the screenplay from the former's novel).

Damiens will play a Swedish man who falls for a co-worker (Tautou) still reeling from the death of her husband a few years earlier.

The film is set to shoot in Paris this March, with a release pencilled in for early 2012.

While it doesn't sound like a huge stretch for Tautou, she's never less than utterly charming on screen, and this sounds like the kind of delightfully fanciful fare that is done so well in France.

Source: The Playlist

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Nicolas Cage offered the lead in Treasure of Pompeii

Nicolas Cage has been offered the chance to star in family adventure Treasure of Pompeii.

The film isn't actually the third installment in Cage's National Treasure franchise, despite sounding quite similar.
Pompeii is described as being close to The Goonies in tone, with the plot centring on "some boys’ adventures in Pompeii, the dead Roman city near the Vesuvius volcano, while searching for a hidden treasure."

There's no word on what role Cage is up for, so he could be playing a concerned dad, a pesky villain, or something altogether different.

Hopefully the film will be closer to the boisterous adventuring of The Goonies than the forgettable code-cracking of the National Treasures.

Cage has a tendency to juggle generic fare with occasional bursts of offbeat manic genius: last year he was ace in Kick-Ass and Bad Lieutenant, but he also turned up in the underwhelming The Sorcerer's Apprentice.

This year he got off to a dodgy start with Season of the Witch, and he'll next be seen in Drive Angry 3D.

If Cage accepts the Treasure of Pompeii role, expect an official announcement very soon.

Source: Slashfilm

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