Saturday 21 May 2011

'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' new video

The Transformers series returns on June 29 when the Michael Bay-directed Transformers: Dark of the Moon is launched in cinemas. Trailers for the third movie have popped up recently, but now a brand new clip has been released featuring Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and new cast member Patrick Dempsey, otherwise known to Grey's Anatomy fans as the dreamy Derek Shepherd.

Watch the new Transformers: Dark of the Moon clip below:


 

The Muppets : First poster released

Walt Disney Pictures has released the first poster for its upcoming The Muppets movie. The one-sheet image shows Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, Kermit, Miss Piggy and Animal, and highlights the family film's November 23 US release (a February 17 release is scheduled for the UK).

The Muppets centres on Jason Segel's Gary and Amy Adams's Mary as they attempt to raise $10 million in order to save the Muppet Theatre from the clutches of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper).

Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Zach Galifianakis, Selena Gomez, Neil Patrick Harris, Ed Helms, Jack Black, Ricky Gervais, Katy Perry and Whoopi Goldberg are among the all-star cast for The Muppets, which will be the first outing for Jim Henson's creations since 1999's Muppets from Space.


Cinéfondation prizes awarded at Cannes


The Cinéfondation prizes have been handed out at the 64th Cannes Film Festival, with a German film taking the top prize.

The Cinéfondation and Short Films jury was headed by Green Hornet director Michel Gondry and included Julie Gayet, Jessica Hausner, Corneliu Porumboiu and João Pedro Rodrigues.

Sixteen student films from Asia, America and Europe were chosen for this year's programme, selected from 1,600 entries.

First Prize - € 15,000 (£13,000):
Der Brief (The Letter)
Director: Doroteya Droumeva
Germany

Second Prize - €11,250:
Drari
Director: Kamal Lazraq
France

Third Prize - € 7,500:
Ya-Gan-Bi-Hang (Fly by Night)
Director: Son Tae-gyum
South Korea

The winning films were screened during a ceremony at the Buñuel Theatre.

The Cinéfondation Selection has previously showcased student films by directors who are in Cannes this year with full-length feature films, including Frederikke Aspöck (Labrador), Catalin Mitulescu (Loverboy) and Vimukthi Jayasundara (Chatrak).

Taylor Lautner 'wanted Pettyfer stripper role'

Taylor Lautner is said to have been desperate to win the lead role in Steven Soderbergh's biopic about Channing Tatum's days as a young male stripper.

Last week, it was confirmed that British actor Alex Pettyfer has been cast as the film's lead. However, Twilight star Lautner is believed to have been actively pursuing the part.

"Taylor wanted the role really badly," a source close to the project told E! Online. "Alex was also pursuing it super hard."

Producers were allegedly concerned about casting Pettyfer, until the actor managed to convince Tatum and Soderbergh that he was right for the role

"He flew himself to New Orleans where Channing [Tatum] is filming 21 Jump Street and blew him away," the source added. "He met with Channing and Steven, and they felt he was the perfect guy to fill [Tatum's] shoes."

Pettyfer will play the role of a young Tatum, who begins stripping at the age of 19, while Tatum himself will play his mentor, the titular Magic Mike.

No start date has been announced for production on Magic Mike

Friday 20 May 2011

Pedro Almodóvar: "I'm in a thriller period"

Pedro Almodóvar has said that he is currently in a thriller period and will probably make more films of that genre in the future.

The acclaimed Spanish director made the comments during the Cannes press conference for his new movie The Skin I Live In.

Almodóvar said of the film: "It's a thriller indeed because that fits in with my life at the moment. Throughout my life and throughout my career I've had favourite types of films - favourite genres - like comedy and melodrama, and now I'm in a thriller period.

"This kind of film makes it possible to bring together different possibilities. You can touch on all sorts of other genres. I don't think it's necessary to strictly abide by the rules of a single type of film that is musical, thriller, comedy. I couldn't do that as people naively did in the '50s and '40s."

He insisted that research he conducted with his brother into the current science of the human genome, transgenisis and bioethics meant that his movie was not "fantastical" like Georges Franju's 1960s movie Eyes Without A Face.

"I don't believe that my film is a fantastic kind of film - it's not science fiction - because these experiments exist," Almodóvar explained. "There's a lab in Granada in Spain where they actually make artificial skin - they're experimenting with artificial skin - so these are very real things today."

He added: "I wanted suspense without gore, without blood. Of course there are a lot of surgical incisions in the film... but I didn't want it to be a gory film where you saw blood flowing all over the place. I didn't want to show such brutal images.

"Naturally the body is very important in my film. Morphology is extremely important in my film. But just as in the Eyes Without A Face, I wanted people to understand that this was happening but I didn't want the images to be gory."

'The Hangover Part II' red carpet

Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis spend most of  The Hangover Part II looking hot, sweaty, and generally bedraggled, but (hopefully) they’ll look far more put together for the movie’s red carpet premiere. Either way, you can watch it live below, starting at 6:30pm PT / 9:30pm ET, with replays afterward.

Also watch for the film’s co-writer-director Todd Phillips, costars Justin Bartha and Ken Jeong, and expected guests Will Ferrell, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, and Jay-Z. 


The Skin I Live In (Cannes 2011)

Given the weird and wild movies that hit Cannes every year it takes a lot to surprise audiences here, but Pedro Almodóvar has just about managed it. The Skin I Live In reunites the acclaimed director with old muse Antonio Banderas and revisits some of the ground they covered together in Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! just over two decades ago - and lots more besides. The director's billing of the film as "a horror story without screams or frights" is about right, but it doesn't begin to do justice to the madness that unfolds over a couple of twisted hours in the pair's company.

Hopping back and forth in time, the film follows cosmetic surgeon Robert (Banderas) as he copes with the fallout of a car accident which left his wife horrifically burned and scarred. To say much more would be to give the game away, but as the twists and turns build up you find yourself occasionally gasping in disbelief or instead stifling giggles - most of them surely intentional - in your fist. There are some pleasingly dry nods to the surgical torture porn of Saw and Hostel, but there's nothing graphic or unpleasantly gratuitous here.

As we get filled in on the backstory, the layers of ridiculousness build up in waves of melodramatic insanity. On the odd occasion where just showing you isn't enough, Almodóvar resorts to having his characters give their barmy dialogue without a smirk, and you have to salute the way that everyone plays it straight. Yes, it's absurd. Yes, it's very, very silly, but The Skin I Live In is also hell of a lot of fun.

By Mayer Nissim, Senior Entertainment Reporter

Emma Watson: 'Hermione more like Lara Croft'

Emma Watson has teased that Harry Potter fans will see Hermione Granger become more like Lara Croft in the final film.

The series will come to a conclusion with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in July.

"This is the best, because it's the finale," Watson told Newsweek. "We've put our heart and soul, blood and guts - and tears! - into it.

"The special effects are mind-blowing. I don't know what happened: are we using a different team, or do we have more money?"

Speaking about the role Hermione takes on in the final battle, the 21-year-old said: "You see a different side of Hermione. She's more like Lara Croft. The pace is absolutely relentless. It's like a two-hour rollercoaster ride!"

Watson recently admitted to crying while filming the physically demanding scenes for the movie, going on to describe the shoot as "decidedly unglamorous".

Watch the trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 below


Rachel McAdams: 'Allen runs civilized set'

Rachel McAdams has praised director Woody Allen for maintaining a "civilized" atmosphere on the set of Midnight In Paris.

Speaking to MTV News, the actress revealed that Allen's relaxed approach to filming allowed her to enjoy the experience more and "relax" into her own role.

"He doesn't shoot really long hours. They're longer than everyone had said, but he doesn't shoot long hours," she explained.

"It was very civilized. There was an easy feeling about things. When you're working with someone who is so good at what they do and they've been doing it for so long, you can relax and let them do what they do and sit back and enjoy watching that happen.

She added: "I enjoyed being a fly on the wall most of the time. And seeing how he would just set up these beautiful scenes like it was a piece of cake."

Allen recently described the film as a "love letter to France" for the country's extensive support throughout his career.

Watch the trailer for Midnight In Paris below:

Keira Knightley 'unsure of Last Night infidelity'

Keira Knightley has confessed that she feels unsure as to whether her Last Night character is guilty of emotional infidelity.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actress plays a young married woman named Joanna in the film, who spends an emotional night with an ex-lover while her husband (Sam Worthington) commits actual adultery with a co-worker while away on a business trip, a situation which Knightley admits can be confusing.

"What is worse? Joanna spends the night in the arms of a man who loves her, and who she loves. He f**ks somebody else. What is worse?" she said.

"We had constant arguments about who was guilty and what was the worst action. Somebody said a great line - 'He tests the marriage, and she breaks it'. I don't know if I agree with that or not, but I can certainly understand it at the same time."

She went on to reveal that she struggled to determine how she felt about the characters' actions and still feels uncertain about which party is to blame.

"I vacillate between the two sides. I've got no idea. I rather enjoy not having an idea. I went in absolutely thinking that hers was worse," she explained.

"Somewhere in the middle I thought, 'Well, bloody hell, she doesn't f**k him. What's the problem? They have a nice night, they have a bit of a kiss, she doesn't really do anything'. And then I went back to thinking hers was worse. I think it depends on where you are in your life, and that will always change. It's a moveable feast."

Knightley will soon be seen alongside Steve Carell in the apocalyptic romance Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, as well as the big-screen adaptation of Anna Karenina.

Carrie remake is in the works


The writer of doomed Broadway production Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark has been recruited to pen a remake of classic chiller Carrie.

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who also lends his pen to comic books and TV series Glee, has been hired to update Brian de Palma’s 1976 horror film for modern audiences.

Based on the debut novel of Stephen King, the original ‘70s film starred Sissy Spacek as the titular Carrie, a shy high school outcast who develops telekinetic powers.

Though de Palma’s film is very much of its time (replete with comedy prom outfits and a bouncy-haired ‘70s John Travolta), that’s all part of its charm.

What can a remake bring? Well, Deadline report that the redo will stick closer to King’s original novel - something that many a remake offers white flag-like to remake haters.
Softening the blow is the fact that Aguirre-Sacasa previously adapted King’s The Stand into a comic book, which means he’s familiar with King’s body of work.

Get this remake wrong, though, and Carrie’s bloodbath ending will pale in comparison to the anger of braying horror fans.

Thursday 19 May 2011

Lars von Trier "proud" of Cannes Nazi row ban

Melancholia director Lars von Trier has admitted that he is "a little proud" of being declared a persona non grata by the Cannes Film Festival.
Von Trier was banned from the festival earlier today following his controversial comments that he "sympathised" with Adolf Hitler
.

"What I said was completely stupid but I'm no Mel Gibson," Von Trier told The Hollywood Reporter. "It's a pity if it means I will lose contact with Cannes."

Von Trier insisted that he is in no way anti-Semitic, citing a Jewish stepfather as evidence, but admitted that the idea of being banned does have a slight appeal for him.

"I have to say I'm a little proud of being named a persona non grata, I think my family would be proud!" he continued. "I have a French order. Now they will likely tear it off my chest."

The director, who is not allowed within 100 metres of the Festival, will not attend Sunday's award ceremony and said that he is unsure if his film will also be banned.

"I hope not," he added. "Because even if I was Hitler - and I must state now for the record I am not Hitler - but even if I was Hitler and I made a great film, Cannes should select it."

Watch Lars von Trier's controversial comments below:

Cameron and Bay talk about the future of 3D

James Cameron and Michael Bay have spoken out about the future of 3D at a special event in Hollywood.

The pair hosted '3D: A Transforming Visual Art' at the Paramount Theater, where they spoke about the future of multi-dimensional film-making (as well as presenting some clips from Bay's Transformers: Dark of the Moon).

Here's what they had to say:

Michael Bay

"I first met James Cameron on the set of Titanic, and he invited me on the set of Avatar. At first I thought 3D was harder than you could imagine, and really not me. Really not me. I'm old school, I like 35mm film where you can touch it, you can feel it. 3D is just all ones and zeros. When I got on set James said he wanted to show me some cool algorithms, and I was like 'What?'"

"James explained it to me like 3D is just a new toy to play with."

James Cameron

"All films benefit from 3D to varying degrees, but I thought Michael had to do 3D. The marriage of his very technical filmmaking and 3D was something I wanted to see."

Bay

"I like to shoot very fast and the 3D cameras can be really big and cumbersome. James, at that time, told me that they were all just handheld, but actually only a third of the cameras he used on Avatar were handheld."

"I took the Avatar crew on for Transformers as they're the best for 3D that there is."

Cameron

"The goal is to make a the 3D cameras light and easy to use. There is a 5 pound 3D camera coming out later this year, so that's happening already."

Bay

"The first day shooting Transformers in 3D was wonderful. It was like sculpting with space. But then we lost all the work we did on that first day, the hard drive crashed, so that was a disappointment. But I ended up loving it. I got really great big shots, and also a lot of great intimate shots."

Cameron

"3D is like music, it's like working with audio. You can dial it up, and then dial it down. If super-fast kinetic cutting is what you need (like Michael does) then you dial it down."

Bay

"We sent a guy with a camera spinning around the top of Chicago skyscrapers at 150 miles per hour. So you can do 3D fast, but it's hard, very hard."

Cameron

"I've seen the whole of Transformers, but not all in 3D. I like the depth the 3D brings to this movie. I like that Michael has used it aggressively (but when does he not do things aggressively?)."

Bay

"For the scene you saw of the guys jumping from Osprey aircraft, we used base jumpers wearing 3D helmets. I saw these French base jumpers and wanted them in my movie. The helmet makes the 3D so close, it kind of messes with your head. That's a technical 3D term there, 'messes with your head.'"

Cameron

"There's an art to messing with your head with 3D."

Bay

"3D is very expensive in comparison. The camera equipment, the labor, there's a third more work for visual effects artists to do on each shot. And it's not easy, it's not technically perfect. My style of shooting is fast, I like to leap frog shots, and with 3D I was slowed down a lot. Plus, I'm still not that into digital, I think there's nothing more beautiful than film. And bottom line, for 3D this movie took 30 million more dollars to make."

Cameron

"Every filmmaker is going to use 3D differently. Avatar was at the time just a science experiment."

Bay

"Shooting in 3D doesn't necessarily mean you'll make more money from the movie. 3D movies are doing badly too. The audience is being turned off by 3D because it's bullshit 3D."

Cameron

"We're all trying to get people back into cinemas for that cinema experience, but we're also abusing that experience. A lot of film makers are adding 3D by conversion in post-production like it's just a sound mix, and it's not a sound mix."

Bay

"Not everything is right for 3D but it works for this picture. It's a lot of work, but it's good when it's right for the experience."

Cameron

"3D now is where the automobile was in 1905. We need to make the cameras smaller and more user-friendly."

"The best thing right now about shooting in 3D is being able to take the audience someplace and blow their mind."

"Within the next two to five years we will have have tablets and laptops which can be viewed 3D without glasses. We will have televisions with multiple viewer angles so we don't need glasses there. And we will have 3D cameras for entry-level filmmaking. The issue is we can't make the 3D content fast enough."

"We also need to put pressure on theatres to show 3D movies in optimal conditions. To show them at the brightness they're supposed to be seen, and not try to save money by dimming projector bulbs. We need to have good standards there."


Will Smith and family approach 'Amulet'

Warner Bros and Will Smith have acquired the rights to Kazu Kibuishi's Amulet series.

The Princess and the Frog scribe Rob Edwards has been hired to write the script, reports Variety.

Smith is producing the films alongside his partner James Lassiter through their Overbrook Entertainment company.

It is rumoured that the two starring roles will be filled by Smith's children Jaden (Karate Kid) and Willow (I Am Legend). Robot 6 also suggested that the roles of the children's parents could be filled by Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

Flight founder Kibuishi's three-book series about two children who are drawn into a magical world and discover themselves to be the last in a line of guardians in command of a powerful amulet. The fourth volume in Scholastic's series is due for publication in September.

The Smiths appeared at a recording for the final Oprah Winfrey Show on Wednesday of this week.

Smith has courted controversy recently over the $2m (£1.2m) trailer he has been staying in while shooting Men In Black 3.

'Bridesmaids' sequel 'already being discussed'

Paul Feig has revealed that a sequel to the new comedy Bridesmaids has already been discussed by studio execs.

Speaking to New York Magazine, the director confessed that he hoped a second film would be made as he feels it would be "a crime" not to utilize the comedic skills of the movie's stars - which include Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph - again in the future.

"I mean, it depends how we do in the next couple weeks, but I know there's definitely... it's already been brought up," he explained.

"So, um, you know, when you get a group that's this deep and this good, it's a crime to not use them again. You just want to make sure that you do it as well as you did the first one and try to make it better, even. So, we're up for the challenge."

Bridesmaids opened on May 13, entering the US box office in second place and pulling in $22.4 million over the weekend.

It will be released on June 24 in the UK.

Demi Moore to play seductress in Tatum movie?



Demi Moore is rumoured to be connected to a project detailing Channing Tatum's past as a stripper.

According to E! Online, the actress, who recently signed a multi-project deal with Lifetime, will play a seductress in the Steven Soderbergh-helmed film Magic Mike.

"Demi met with Steven Soderbergh at Soho House in West Hollywood last week to discuss the film, and she loved it," a source said. "She's so excited about the role."

While it was originally reported that Tatum would portray a character inspired by his experiences as a 19-year-old, Alex Pettyfer has now been tipped to portray Tatum in the movie. Tatum himself will play his stripping mentor.

Earlier this year, Moore revealed that she would love to direct a film starring her 32-year-old husband Ashton Kutcher.

Tom Hanks 'intimidated by Julia Roberts'

Tom Hanks has admitted that he was intimidated directing Julia Roberts on the set of the upcoming Larry Crowne.

In an interview with W magazine, Hanks - who wrote, directed and starred in the movie - revealed that he hand-picked Roberts to appear as a university professor who falls in love with his character, a middle-aged student.

"I had some teachers who looked like Julia, I would see them and think, 'I love you'," he teased. "So there was never anyone but Julia. Still, even after she said yes, I was the boss. That meant I got to say, 'You don't wear this dress, you wear that dress'. And Julia's Julia - she can be intimidating."

Also speaking to the magazine, Roberts said that Hanks encouraged her to cut loose while filming a scene that featured heavy drinking.

The actress joked: "Why did Tom Hanks think of me when he thought of a drunken schoolteacher? What does that mean? He has me chugging margaritas. I asked why it couldn't be straight liquor, and he said it was funnier if it was a drink made in a blender."

Larry Crowne is to open on July 1 in the US and the UK.


Rashida Jones 'appreciated Deschanel kiss'

Rashida Jones has confessed that she feels "appreciative" of the opportunity to kiss Zooey Deschanel during a scene in the upcoming comedy Our Idiot Brother.

In an interview with The Advocate, the Parks and Recreation actress revealed that the experience of playing Deschanel's on-screen girlfriend was an eye-opening one and joked that it made her reconsider her own sexuality.

"'I was like, 'Oh, my God, girls are so pretty and soft. No stubble burn! What am I doing with guys?'" she said. "I haven't dipped back since, but I was very appreciative of the experience."

She went on to insist that while there is still much progress to be done in the area of gay and lesbian rights, she believes it is becoming more accepted for people to come out of the closet.

"I'm never shocked [when someone comes out]," she explained. "If there weren't still such a stigma, half of the acting and music community would come out. Luckily, there's less of a stigma every day."

Our Idiot Brother also stars Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks and Adam Scott.

Watch the trailer for Our Idiot Brother below:


Wednesday 18 May 2011

Jodie Foster defends Mel Gibson casting

Jodie Foster has defended her choice of Mel Gibson as the lead actor in her third directorial feature The Beaver.

The actor/director was asked at the Cannes press conference for the film if she was worried that Gibson's troubled personal life will affect how audiences respond to his character.

Foster said: "Sure! Well, I think the first order of business is to say who's the right actor for the role. And especially at this point I can't think of anybody else but Mel. He was definitely the first on my list.

"He's somebody that really understands how to handle humour and the lightness and the charm of the character, but also has a deep understanding of the struggles and that he would keep his feet firmly placed in the drama."

She added: "I can't say that of most actors. I think most actors are either in the dramatic end or in the comedy end. Especially actors in the comedic end would have had a hard time resisting going for the comedy for the entire film."

Foster recently admitted that she had "no inkling" of Gibson's personal problems while they were shooting her movie.

Tuesday 17 May 2011

Helena Bonham Carter for 'Great Expectations'

Helena Bonham Carter has signed up to the forthcoming big-screen adaptation of Great Expectations.

The actress will take on the role of Miss Havisham, who is abandoned at the altar on her wedding day, BBC Films announced.

Jeremy Irvine, who has also committed to Steven Spielberg's Warhorse, will play Pip, the orphan she takes into her home.

The only other name rumoured for the cast is Ralph Fiennes, who is reportedly considering the role of the escaped convict Magwitch.

BBC Films also announced several other projects including adaptations of children's novels Swallows and Amazons and Peter Pan in Scarlet.

Best-selling One Day author David Nicholls will be penning the script

Rachel McAdams: 'Wilson reteam has new dynamic'



Rachel McAdams has revealed that she and co-star Owen Wilson developed a new rapport while shooting Woody Allen's latest movie Midnight in Paris.

The actress first starred as Wilson's love interest in the 2005 comedy Wedding Crashers, but in Allen's latest comedy they portray a couple struggling to maintain their relationship.

In an interview with Elle magazine, McAdams admitted that she often found it troubling to film scenes where her and Wilson's characters confront their woes.

"It's definitely a different dynamic from the last time we were together," she said. "It wasn't as fun being mean. I love that Woody likes good guys to be good guys and bad guys to be bad guys."

She then quipped: "Owen seemed to respond really well when I was a really bad guy!"

McAdams also revealed that she is her own harshest critic when it comes to accepting challenging acting roles.

"Sometimes I don't think I'm the best person for the job. That was the case with Morning Glory," she said. "Sometimes I think, 'Really? You see me as this?' Just because I don't see myself that way, does that mean I shouldn't do it? I tend to go, 'Is this the right decision? What are the ramifications of doing this part?' You can start to overanalyse. But once I make the decision, it's full steam ahead."

McAdams and boyfriend Michael Sheen made their first public appearance together at the opening of Midnight in Paris at the Cannes Film Festival last week.

Midnight in Paris is released on May 20 in the US. A UK opening has not yet been announced.

Thor still on top at UK box office

Marvel's Thor has spent its third consecutive weekend at the top of the UK box office.

The 3D fantasy epic, starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, again charts ahead of Fast & Furious 5, while Joe Cornish's directorial debut Attack the Block pulls in an impressive £1.1 million in third place.

Horror movie Insidious and Hanna complete the top five.

Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon's romance Water for Elephants dips two spots to number six, while Rio holds its place at number seven.

Elsewhere, romantic comedy Something Borrowed is at number eight, with Priest and Arthur occupying ninth and tenth place respectively.

The UK box office top ten in full:

1. (1) Thor - £1,360,418
2. (2) Fast & Furious 5 - £1,155,540
3. (-) Attack the Block - £1,133,859
4. (3) Insidious - £963,963
5. (5) Hanna - £821,081
6. (4) Water for Elephants - £695,631
7. (7) Rio - £592,142
8. (6) Something Borrowed - £489,848
9. (8) Priest - £202,483
10. (9) Arthur - £151,755

Monday 16 May 2011

Milla Jovovich leaks 'Resident Evil 5' title



Milla Jovovich has revealed the title of the fifth film in the Resident Evil series, as well as teasing how it is progressing.

Jovovich, who has played lead character Alice in all four entries so far, said that husband and series creator Paul W. S. Anderson is in the process of researching ideas for the follow-up to last year's Resident Evil: Afterlife.

"Just to let the Resident Evil fans know, cause there's been a bunch of questions about the next film, Paul has kids that are professional players," she tweeted. "They play the games for weeks and give Paul the footage.

"So, he's literally watching days of the most awesome Resident Evil players out there to get inspiration for the next instalment of the franchise."

Jovovich also revealed a potential title for the new entry, saying that she believes it will be called Resident Evil: Retribution.

The actress confirmed that Anderson is still working on the script, but the basic outline is ready.

"Paul is still writing the script but he's got the story down," she added. "Paul has such a great idea for the next Resident Evil film and there will be a huge surprise about the origin of Alice!"

Earlier this year, it was confirmed that actress Sienna Guillory will reprise her role as Jill Valentine for the new movie, after making a cameo appearance at the end of Resident Evil: Afterlife.

The fifth Resident Evil film is expected to reach cinemas in September 2012

Jessica Chastain on The Tree Of Life



You may not know Jessica Chastain yet, but you’re about to. She has two films in Cannes – thriller Take Shelter and Terrence Malick’s loooong anticipated The Tree Of Life.

On her character, Mrs O’ Brien…

“She’s the perfect mother. She sort of represents the unattainable; she’s the kind of mother I would love to be. She’s the embodiment of grace and compassion, of putting others before yourself.
I’m a similar character in Take Shelter. So I’m playing two good mothers in Cannes!”

On working with Brad Pitt…

“I was intimidated before I met him! Because the idea that you’re going to play Brad Pitt’s wife carries so much weight. But once you meet him, he really goes out of his way to make you feel equal and at ease and brave enough to be inventive in each scene. He was wonderful. He plays a very different person from who he is in real life. His character is very closed down, very difficult to be with. Early on, he did a scene where he has a confrontation with our kids and I was so shocked by it. He said he hated doing it but his performance was so generous to [the other actors] because it enabled us to give our best in the scene with him. It was great to see him totally throw himself into the character and then at ‘cut’ be normal Brad again, because I’ve heard stories where people don’t throw themselves out of the character!”

On starring in Terrence Malick’s next film…

All my scenes are with Ben Affleck, but I only did two days on that project so I don’t know if I’ll end up in it! It was a great experience. I got to go to the set and see how it had changed and developed from our set a few years before – how Terrence is constantly evolving as a filmmaker. He’s not stuck in his ways. But I wouldn’t be shocked if I’m cut out of the finished film." 

On getting ready for stardom…

“I’m not going to lie. I’m getting a little anxious about how my life is going to change by the end of the year. But I know I’m never going to have to deal with the kind of fame Brad Pitt has to deal with.
I’ve been offered and have shied away from big franchise films. I’m not saying I’ll never do them, but it would have to be something that would be a challenge.”

On upcoming movie The Wettest Country In The World…

“I play a gun moll from Chicago in the 1930s who ends up in the south with these three brothers who are selling moonshine. It’s a fight between them and the police. My character has a romance with Tom Hardy’s character.
“People are going to be very excited about this film; [director] John Hillcoat is a master.It was the kind of set where the actors who weren’t working that day would show up just to watch scenes being made. Which doesn’t happen often!”

Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan join Byzantium


Neil Jordan’s vampire movie Byzantium has landed its leads in the form of Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan.

The pair will play mother and daughter in a story that sees Arterton’s mama vamp turn her daughter into a creature of the night.

Other actors who’ve already signed up to the project include the impressive likes of Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes and Jeremy Irvine.

Jordan is working on the film with legendary British producer Stephen Woolley, with whom he previously crafted The Crying Game, Interview With The Vampire and The Company Of Wolves. Says Woolley:

“I love the horror genre and we’ve been working on this for three or four years. I sent it to Neil and he liked the script.

“We’d both recently revisited Angela Carter’s book [which The Company Of Wolves was based on] and it was just chance that when I called [Jordan], we were thinking along the same lines.”

With such a great cast in place, not to mention Jordan at the helm, Byzantium should be a fascinating addition to the current cycle of vampire movies.

Angelina Jolie directorial debut given US release

Angelina Jolie will release her feature directorial debut in the US this December, it has been announced.

The film, a love story that takes place during the Bosnian Civil War in the '90s, will be titled In the Land of Blood and Honey and is due to open Stateside on December 23 through distributors FilmDistrict. The firm is a new arm of Oscar winner Graham King's GK Films, which also produced Jolie's film.

The FilmDistrict aquisition and theatrical release was announced today at the Cannes Film Festival.

"The film is specific to the Bosnian War, but it's also universal," said Jolie, who wrote the script for the film. "I wanted to tell a story of how human relationships and behaviour are deeply affected by living inside a war."

Jolie shot the movie in both Serbo-Croatian, which was spoken at the time of the war, and English. The cast includes local actors Zana Marjanovic, Goran Kostic and Rade Serbedzija.

"The former Yugoslavia has a rich history of dramatic arts," Jolie commented. "The cast was extraordinary. I was privileged and honoured to work with them and I am very excited for everyone to see their immense talent."

Producer King said that he is "extremely proud of this film", adding: "The filmmaking is impeccable, and signals the arrival of a visceral and compelling storyteller."

Jolie previously directed the the 2007 documentary A Place in Time