Director Sidney Lumet dies, aged 86

Renowned American film director Sidney Lumet has died at the age of 86.

The New York Times confirms that the director passed away from lymphoma earlier today at his home in Manhattan, New York.

Lumet's career as a filmmaker spanned six decades, and he had directed almost 50 films by the time of his death.

His most well-known film is the 1957 courtroom drama 12 Angry Men, starring Henry Fonda, which was nominated for three Academy Awards upon its release.

Among Lumet's other critically-acclaimed films were Dog Day Afternoon, The Verdict, Network and the Motown-inspired The Wiz, starring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.

Lumet himself never won an Academy Award for 'Best Director', despite being nominated four times, although he was presented with an honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2005.

His last film was the critically well-received 2008 crime drama Before the Devil Knows You're Dead starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke

'Whole Lotta Sole' Begins Filming in Belfast

 

 

Cameras start to roll today on the Belfast set of ‘Whole Lotta Sole’, a new feature form Oscar nominated Irish director Terry George (writer, Hotel Rwanda, In the Name of the Father) starring Brendan Fraser (Crash), Colm Meaney (Parked) and Martin McCann (The Pacific).

 

The comedy heist thriller will shoot for six weeks in Belfast. Lead actor Martin McCann is excited about the production, telling IFTN “I am going to love this one!”
 
‘Whole Lotta Sole’ will shoot in and around Belfast from today, April 8th until mid-May. In the feature Yaya DaCosta (The Kids are All Right) plays Sophie, the girlfriend of Brendan Fraser’s Joe Maguire who, along with a baby and two ten-year old tearaways, are taken hostage in Maguire’s antique shop by Martin McCann’s young gunman, Jimbo who is being pursued by Colm Meaney's police detective Weller after a botched robbery at a Belfast fishmongers owned by gangland boss Mad Dog Flynn, played by David O’Hara (The Departed).
 
Produced by Generator Entertainment’s Mark Huffam (Killing Bono, Game of Thrones) the feature sees Des Martin (The Escapist) on set as director of photography, David Craig (Kings) on board as production designer and Hazel Webb Crozier (Your Highness) working as the film’s costume designer. The film will be edited over the summer by Nick Emerson (Cherrybomb) and the film's soundtrack will be composed by Foy Vance (Golden Delicious).
 
Speaking with IFTN earlier this week, IFTA winning lead actor Martin McCann voiced his excitement about the upcoming production of ‘Whole Lotta Sole’, saying:
 
“I’m just really excited to get working with Terry George - even in my audition for the film I got a real sense that this is one director and writer with more talent in his baby finger than I have in my entire body!
 
“It’s nice to know your working with someone that will up your game and as for the other cast members, they speak for themselves. I am going to love this one!”
 
Budget information for the film is TBC but support funding has come from Northern Ireland Screen, Invest NI and the European Regional Development Fund.

Mick Jagger 'writes film with David Bowie'

Sir Mick Jagger is reportedly looking for actors to star in a film he has been writing for 15 years.

The Rolling Stones star, who is currently working on solo material, wrote the script with David Bowie. It is about two "hellraising rock'n'roll managers set in the mid '60s", The Sun reports.

He was apparently encouraged to pursue the project further after watching the likes of Sir Paul McCartney and George Michael in Comic Relief sketches. The comedy is said to be based on the likes of Andrew Loog Oldham, who used to manage The Rolling Stones.

A source said: "Mick has had the script in the bag for years. He has gone back to it again recently and feels now is the time to get it out there. Mick has a few famous comedians in mind to star and is starting to sound them out.

"The script is full of stuff from back in the day, which Mick and the band witnessed first hand or heard about on their travels. He's well up for a cameo role, to show he's not the serious businessman a lot of people think he is all the time.

"Mick has been watching how people like Sir Elton John, Macca and Ringo Starr have been willing to send themselves up. He's done a lot of comedy appearances on television in the United States and it always goes down well."

The reports adds that he is planning to make the movie using his production company Jagged Films.

'Deadpool' spinoff secures director

X-Men visual effects artist Tim Miller has reportedly been signed to helm the long-awaited Deadpool film.

According to Deadline, Miller will make his directorial debut on the Marvel Comics project, a spinoff of the 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

The film will see Ryan Reynolds reprise his role as the so-called "Merc with a Mouth", in an adaptation that will apparently follow the character's comic book history more closely.

Last month, the film's producer Lauren Shuler-Donner confirmed that Deadpool would be unrelated to other films in the X-Men series, and would be a "total reboot" of the character.

Previous rumours suggested that both Planet Terror director Robert Rodriguez and Adam Berg were being courted for the project.

Reynolds has been keen to move forward on Deadpool for some time, after admitting that he was disappointed with the character's portrayal in the Wolverine prequel.

Deadpool is currently in production and is scheduled for release in 2014.

Liam Neeson cameo cut from 'Hangover II'

Liam Neeson's cameo in The Hangover Part II has not made the final cut of the film, it has been confirmed.

The actor was hired last year to replace Mel Gibson after the cast and crew objected to Gibson's involvement in the project.

Neeson filmed scenes as a tattoo artist in Thailand, but they were cut during the editing process when director Todd Phillips decided to do reshoots.

Neeson was unavailable to reshoot his part and was replaced with The Notebook director Nick Cassavetes.

Phillips told Variety: "We were in a complete time crunch so I called up Nick and asked if he would do the part.

"He came in and crushed it and that is the scene that you will ultimately see in the film. [I'm excited for everyone] to see the film. It turned out great."

The film is due to be released May 26 in the US and May 27 in the UK

Watch the trailer for The Hangover Part II below

'Dark Knight Rises' gets 'Social Network' star

Josh Pence has been cast in The Dark Knight Rises, it has been revealed.

The Social Network star is to play a young Ra's al Ghul in the Warner Bros picture, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Sources claim that Pence will appear as the villainous character during a flashback sequence set 30 years before the events of the final film in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy.

Ra's al Ghul was depicted by Liam Neeson in 2005's Batman Begins, but Neeson has already denied that he will be reprising the character for next year's film.

The casting reports would tie in with earlier speculation, which suggested that the movie's plot will revolve around Batman's battle with the League of Shadows, fronted by Talia al Ghul - daughter of Ra's.

Pence acted opposite Armie Hammer in last year's Social Network in the role of Tyler Winklevoss, although Hammer's face was superimposed over Pence's in the final edit.

He has recently finished shooting on Battleship and The Algerian.

The Dark Knight Rises opens in July 2012.

Uma Thurman: 'I like working with young men'

Uma Thurman has confessed that she loves being cast alongside younger male actors in films.

Talking to MTV News, the 40-year-old explained that she has learned a lot from her various roles as 'the older woman' and enjoys defying convention by exploring relationships between characters from different generations.

"I have been cast opposite a lot of really handsome, charming young men," she said. "It's nice work when you can get it. I've also worked with some of the world's most wonderful, esteemed older men throughout my career, who were wonderful people to learn from and be with.

"I think the exploration of people relating in different generations is something that is really current. And it's fun. It's wonderful to have. I can't just speak about it romantically, but it's wonderful to know people at all different stages of life."

Thurman can next be seen with Robert Pattinson in the upcoming drama Bel Ami, as well as in Ceremony with Michael Angarano.

She was recently confirmed for Quentin Tarantino's follow up to Inglourious Basterds, a Western film entitled A Southern.

Abbie Cornish 'comfortable with sex scenes'

Sucker Punch actress Abbie Cornish has suggested that she has no objections to shooting sex scenes.

The star, who made her professional acting debut at just 15, told Esquire UK that the close relationships she cultivates with her co-stars prevent love scenes from ever feeling awkward.

"[My co-stars are] all mates, that's the thing," Cornish insisted. "So I'm lucky."

She continued: "With friends, if someone's pants don't come off properly, or if something gets stuck, you just end up giggling."

The star also explained that she has a wide variety of diverse interests outside of her profession.

"I'm into painting and street art and I'm a musician, I play piano," Cornish remarked. "I love taking pictures or filming things documentary style. And I'm definitely active - I love surfing."

Cornish recently told DS that her W.E director Madonna is "definitely determined and quite a visionary".

Last month, the star suggested that meeting two-time Oscar-winner Robert De Niro on the set of Limitless was "amazing".

W.E is expected to premiere in US and UK cinemas later this year.

Watch our recent interview with Abbie Cornish below:

'28 Weeks Later' director to remake 'The Crow'

Cult classic The Crow is to be remade by 28 Weeks Later filmmaker Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.

The project was originally to be directed by Blade helmer Stephen Norrington, who abruptly pulled out of the venture.

Producer Edward R. Pressman said: "The original Crow was groundbreaking cinema. Its gothic visual and musical ideas influenced a generation and cinema itself.

"With Juan Carlos, we have every confidence that his new Crow will have a similar impact on the contemporary audience."

It was reported in July 2010 that musician and novelist Nick Cave had been hired to rewrite the film.

The 1994 movie starred Bruce Lee's son Brandon, who died on set following a mix-up with bullets.

Alex Proyas, the director of the original, criticised plans for the remake when it was first announced, citing Brandon's tragic death as the sole motivation for finishing the film.

Abbie Cornish "loved" making 'Sucker Punch'

Abbie Cornish has revealed that she "loved" making her latest movie.

Sucker Punch, which tells the story of a girl trying to get out of an asylum, stars the 28-year-old Australian actress, together with Pride and Prejudice star Jena Malone and High School Musical's Vanessa Hudgens.

Cornish told The Australian that she became like "sisters" with her co-stars during filming, saying: "I think as a female, female relationships are incredibly important. I loved the idea of exploring that within this film and even though the film called for it, our relationships developing took it to another level."

She revealed that despite the movie being "crazy", she had wanted to do an action or fantasy film for a while and it "ticked all those boxes".

"I would love to do more films where I could train and do my own stunts," Cornish said. "I got a kick out of it, I loved it. I'm very physical and love physical challenges."

She also said of the film's director Zack Snyder: "He's actually an actor's dream as a director. Not only is he a great filmmaker and incredibly technically inclined, he's also a filmmaking nerd in a way.

"He's very current, always up to date with what's going on in the world and technology, smart and enthusiastic with a child-like energy but very wise."

Cornish split from actor Ryan Phillippe in 2010 after about four years together.

Tim Roth boards 'Arbitrage' cast

Tim Roth has signed to star in forthcoming drama Arbitrage.

The Lie to Me actor joins Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon in the film.

The Informers screenwriter and producer Nicholas Jarecki will direct the project, reports Deadline.

Roth, who previously praised the third season of his crime drama Lie To Me, will portray a detective named Michael Gower who is involved in a murder investigation in the thriller that centres on a desperate hedge fund magnate.

Oscar nominee Roth's previous films include Pulp Fiction, The Incredible Hulk and Reservoir Dogs.

Bonnie Wright: 'Destroying Hogwarts was fun'

Bonnie Wright has admitted that the Harry Potter cast had fun filming the destruction of Hogwarts for the final film.

The battle between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort reaches a climax in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two.

Speaking about one scene in particular which sees Molly Weasley (Julie Walters) take on Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham-Carter), Wright told Nylon: "Oh that whole scene is going to be so good. In fact, what's so great about the last film is that all the good guys bring up their game.

"They're like, 'Actually, we'll really fight now; we're not afraid to cause damage'. It's so much fun, and the best part is, we get to destroy Hogwarts! Cue the crying children."

She continued: "I guess people could think that's sad, but for a lot of us, it was strangely cathartic. Like, 'This has been amazing, now let's blow it up'. It's kind of like when you build a sandcastle and you break it down."

The Ginny Weasley actress recently admitted that it felt "really weird" to see herself aged for the movie's epilogue scenes.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two opens in cinemas across the UK and US on July 15

Vera Farmiga 'can't explain Source Code end'

Vera Farmiga has admitted that she can't explain the ending to her latest movie Source Code.

The Oscar-nominated Up in the Air actress told Movieline that she has asked director Duncan Jones on several occasions to reveal the ultimate fate of Jake Gyllenhaal's soldier Colter Stevens, who enters alternate realities in order to uncover the identity of a terrorist on a commuter train.

Farmiga portrays Colleen Goodwin, an Air Force officer who helps Stevens navigate through the various 'source codes'.

She said: "[Duncan] says that it's a Choose Your Own Adventure novel, of sorts, is the way I've been expressing it. That's certainly what drew me. I feel like every reality is a viable reality and it's basically which one you choose - whichever ending you think is most fulfilling for yourself.

"It is ambiguous, but pointedly so, I think. Because it's all theory and philosophy and if anything was absolute then we would have a tidy answer But I think the ambiguity works. Duncan will say that all the realities that he's been in are true."

Source Code is currently sitting in second place at the UK and US box office behind Russell Brand's Hop.

'Planet of the Apes' gets title, release date

20th Century Fox has confirmed the title and release date for its Planet of the Apes prequel, reports Coming Soon.

The science fiction blockbuster, previously called Rise of the Apes, has now been named Rise of the Planet of the Apes and will debut in cinemas on April 5.

James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Andy Serkis, Brian Cox and Tom Felton star in the movie, directed by The Escapist's Rupert Wyatt.

The plot revolves around genetically engineered chimp Caesar (Serkis) leading an ape uprising against humans in present-day San Francisco.

Weta digital is handling the effects for the blockbuster, making it the first movie in the Apes series to use photo-realistic CGI as opposed to actors in costumes.

The Planet of the Apes saga, based on Pierre Boulle's novel, began in 1968 with the Charlton Heston film and continued with four sequels and a short-lived TV series. Tim Burton and Mark Wahlberg teamed up to remake the original in 2001.

Garner 'familiar with Russell Brand's anatomy'

Jennifer Garner has revealed that she is now "very familiar" with Russell Brand, after filming scenes together for Arthur.

The actress, who stars opposite Brand in the remake of the classic Dudley Moore movie, told David Letterman that working together meant getting up close and personal with the British actor.

Garner explained: "He was in his underwear, and they were very handsomely made. It was Russell and me, right behind him, on all fours.

"We did it over and over again, so I spent two days just right up against it. So I'm very familiar, in my own way, with the anatomy of Russell Brand - and it's good."

Brand previously described kissing Garner in the film as 'like eating cake'.

He also revealed that the reimagining of Arthur includes a lot of differences to the original.

"He's taller by about a foot," Brand said. "And he exists in the contemporary world. And it's the modern world, so we can't bloody well end the movie with him as a drunk. But there's a lot of changes."

Arthur is released in US cinemas on April 8 and on April 22 in the UK.

Meg Ryan making directorial debut with Into The Beautiful

Meg Ryan is getting behind the camera to make her directorial debut with Into The Beautiful.

A comedy drama likened to The Big Chill, Ryan has no plans to star in the film, instead concentrating all of her efforts on the directing department.

P.S. I Love You producer Wendy Finerman had this to say about the film:

“I’m often drawn to pictures that make you laugh and cry. I think this is the perfect project for Meg to bring to life. She’s poignant and funny and heartfelt.”

Hopefully Ryan will be able to steer clear of the horrible, cloying sentimentality of that Hilary Swank weepie when she kick starts filming in New York this September.

Ryan’s next up in Lives Of The Saints.

Source: Variety

Penelope Cruz to work on Woody Allen film

Penelope Cruz has revealed that she is planning to work on another Woody Allen film.

The actress previously appeared in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which earned her an Oscar for 'Best Supporting Actress'.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the 36-year-old said: "I know [what I'm doing next], but the thing is that I have to ask the director what I can say and what I cannot say.

"Because he's very secretive... It's a movie with Woody Allen. But I really cannot say anything about the story or the characters."

Allen recently announced that he would be filming his next project in Rome, but no other details, including a working title, have been confirmed

Emma Watson's 'Wallflower' adds Mae Whitman

Parenthood actress Mae Whitman will join Emma Watson in the cast of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, reports Variety.

The movie centres on Charlie (Percy Jackson's Logan Lerman), a 15-year-old outsider struggling through life and dealing with his feelings for Watson's character.

Whitman, who recently appeared in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, will play a tattooed vegetarian who is Charlie's first girlfriend.

Wallflower will be written and directed by Stephen Chbosky, based on his 1999 novel of the same name. Filming is due to start next month in Pittsburgh.

Watson will star as Hermione Granger for the final time in this summer's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. She also has a supporting role in Michelle Williams's upcoming Marilyn Monroe biopic My Week with Marilyn.

'300' sequel loses 'Xerces' name

The sequel to the 300 movie will no longer be called Xerxes.

Speaking to MTV News, producer Mark Canton said that the filmmakers had not settled on a name for the follow-up.

He joked that the film was to be called Xerxes Plus.

"It's been worth the wait," he said. "You know, that group of people [who worked on 300], we're really a family. That's part of what made that movie... so gratifying. Rather than doing the bad sequel we... took our time. And now I think we have something that is going to be fantastic."

300 director Zack Snyder recently revealed that the script for the sequel had been completed. Canton avoided revealing what Snyder's role on the film would be.

"Soon we'll know what we're doing," he said when asked if Snyder would direct or produce. "But I don't see us waiting two years to make the movie and Zack is very much at the helm of it at the same time."

300 was based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller. The writer and artist revealed that he was working on the follow-up in 2009.

Evanna Lynch: 'I cried at final Potter'

Evanna Lynch has confessed that she cried on the last day of filming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two.

The actress - who plays eccentric Hogwarts witch Luna Lovegood in the film franchise - told MTV News that she did not feel ready to walk away from the series despite having prepared herself for the past several years.

"I did cry. I cried on the last day, because it was epic," she explained. "Everyone was in, and we had a big cast call, and everyone was like, 'Well, this is [it]!' And yes, it was emotional.

"I felt like, yeah, we talked about it a thousand times, and then when the end came, I really was sad."

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two was recently confirmed to be released in 3D. It will be the franchise's shortest film.

The final instalment will hit theatres worldwide on July 15.

'Hop' edges out 'Source Code' at UK box office

Russell Brand's Easter-themed family film Hop has topped the UK box office on its first weekend on release.

The live-action/animation hybrid, co-starring James Marsden and Kaley Cuoco, takes in £1.39 million to secure first place. Jake Gyllenhaal's science fiction thriller Source Code runs Hop close at the chart summit, opening with £1.3 million.

Last week's number one Limitless is at number three ahead of Sucker Punch, which bows at a disappointing number four on the back of unfortunate reviews.

The Eagle is at number five, while A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventure is the biggest faller as it tumbles down four spots to number six.

Elsewhere, Rango continues its impressive box office run. The Johnny Depp animation has been in cinemas for a month and grossed £6.3 million in total from UK screens.

The UK box office top ten in full:

1. (-) Hop - £1,392,740
2. (-) Source Code - £1,306,661
3. (1) Limitless - £1,206,219
4. (-) Sucker Punch - £814,976
5. (3) The Eagle - £472,357
6. (2) A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventure - £365,258
7. (4) Rango - £289,021
8. (5) Unknown - £276,657
9. (7) Anuvahood - £219,688
10. (9) The Lincoln Lawyer - £146,962

'Harry Potter' tops National Movie Awards noms

ITV has unveiled the nominations for its fourth National Movie Awards.

The event, which will take place on May 11 and be broadcast on ITV, will allow British movie fans the opportunity to vote for their favourite films, performances and upcoming blockbusters through a nationwide poll.

Films such as Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1, 127 Hours, The King's Speech and The Social Network are up for awards, while performances from Daniel Radcliffe, Ben Barnes, Jennifer Aniston, Natalie Portman and Jeff Bridges are among those recognised.

Voting is currently open at nationalmovieawards.com.

The 2011 L'Oréal Paris National Movie Awards nominations in full:

Best Fantasy
Gulliver's Travels
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Tron: Legacy

Best Drama
127 Hours
Black Swan
The King's Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

Must See Movie of the Summer
Captain America: The First Avenger
Cars 2
Cowboys & Aliens
Green Lantern
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Kung Fu Panda
Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
The Hangover Part II
The Smurfs
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
X-Men: First Class

Best Comedy
Due Date
Just Go With It
Little Fockers
Paul

Best Animation
Despicable Me
Gnomeo & Juliet
Megamind
Tangled

One to Watch: Brits Going Global
Riz Ahmed
Jamie Campbell Bower
Henry Cavill
Luke Evans
Andrew Garfield
Tom Hardy
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Felicity Jones
Alex Pettyfer
Sam Riley
Andrea Riseborough
Ed Westwick

Performance of the Year
James Franco (127 Hours)
Zach Galifianakis (Due Date)
Jack Black (Gulliver's Travels)
Rupert Grint (Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1)
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1)
Emma Watson (Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1)
Jennifer Aniston (Just Go With It)
Ben Stiller (Little Fockers)
Ben Barnes (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader)
Georgie Henley (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader)
Nick Frost (Paul)
Simon Pegg (Paul)
Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech)
Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)
Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
Jeff Bridges (Tron: Legacy/True Grit)
Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)

Mirren: 'Brand made me want to do Arthur'

Helen Mirren has admitted that she was "seduced" into starring in the remake of Arthur by Russell Brand.

The actress stars as the nanny who is hired to look after Brand's character, who is the drunken billionaire of the title role, originally played by Dudley Moore.

She told The Hollywood Reporter: "He totally seduced me, the way he does. I defy any male or female to spend two hours with him and not be completely charmed and not say, 'Yeah, fine, I'll do whatever you want.'"

When asked previously, the Gosford Park star told the site that she did not especially like the first version.

In comparison, comedian-turned-actor Brand has spoken about how similar he was to Arthur.

The two have previously worked together in the Shakespeare adaptation The Tempest.

Mirren was recently honoured by casting her hands and feet in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Introducing her at the ceremony, Brand described her as an "empress, deity and God's representative here on earth".

Reese Witherspoon 'loved Elephants costumes'

Reese Witherspoon has revealed that she loved the costumes that she wore in Water For Elephants.

While at a press conference in the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, Witherspoon spoke about the period costumes in the '30s-set film, stating that she almost didn't recognise herself, according to People.

She said: "It was really transforming for me. [The costumes] were beautiful. It was a different time when women loved their curves and enjoyed being voluptuous."

Witherspoon recently revealed that she was impressed by her Water For Elephants co-star Robert Pattinson's ability to avoid the paparazzi.

The actress married Hollywood agent Jim Toth last weekend. Witherspoon was previously married to actor Ryan Phillippe from 1999 to 2007.

Water For Elephants opens in US cinemas on April 22 and in the UK on May 4

'Hanna' director slams 'Sucker Punch'

Director Joe Wright has launched a veiled attack against Sucker Punch.

The BAFTA-winning Pride & Prejudice filmmaker, appearing at WonderCon to promote his forthcoming action-thriller Hanna, suggested that Zack Snyder's latest movie had a "bulls**t" female empowerment message.

Wright said: "I remember when the Spice Girls came out in the '90s and they called it 'Girl Power' - I think that's bulls**t.

"I probably shouldn't say this but the posters for recent films with girls kicking a**e - there's one out at the moment - there's girls in the poster in bikinis and crop-tops, and they've got pigtails and they're dressed up as schoolgirls. They're being sexualised, this is supposedly 'Girl Power' female empowerment and that's bulls**t.

"Female empowerment is not about sex, that is the point of female empowerment. It's about brains and not objectifying women."

Wright's Hanna, which reunites him with Atonement star Saoirse Ronan, centres on a teenage girl who is raised to be a deadly assassin by a her father.

The director said that he will use the film to address "the concerns I have about the place of young women in society and the continued sexual objectification of young women".

Lindsay Lohan may play murder victim Tate

Lindsay Lohan has reportedly been offered the role of actress Sharon Tate, in a new biopic about the life of cult leader Charles Manson.

TMZ claims that Lohan has been offered the part of director Roman Polanski's late wife, but has yet to make her decision.

Tate was murdered in 1969 by some of Manson's followers, despite being over eight months pregnant.

The site also claims that American photographer Tyler Shields will both direct the film, and play the lead role of Charles Manson himself.

Shields has previously worked with Lohan on a controversial series of photos, in which the actress was pictured holding a gun to her mouth.

Scott Kozar is currently working on a separate biopic about the Manson family, starring True Blood actor Ryan Kwanten in the lead role.

Eyes Of A Dreamer will be produced by Brad Wyman, best known for his work on the 2003 film Monster, which starred Charlize Theron as famed serial killer Aileen Wuornos.

'Darkest Hour' delayed until December

The upcoming sci-fi thriller The Darkest Hour has been delayed by Summit Entertainment.

According to Coming Soon, the film has been pushed back from its original release date in August to a launch in late December.

The Darkest Hour has already suffered delays before, after wildfires in Russia forced Summit Entertainment to temporarily halt production on the film last year.

The film follows five people who find themselves stranded in Moscow, where they are forced to band together in order to survive a crippling alien attack.

Night Watch creator Timur Bekmambetov is producing the film, which is being helmed by Right At Your Door director Chris Gorak.

Emile Hirsch was cast as one of the film's leads last year, joining the likes of Olivia Thirlby, Max Minghella and Joel Kinnaman.

The Darkest Hour is now expected to hit cinemas on December 23

'Expendables 2' is given release date

The Expendables 2 has been confirmed for an August 2012 release.

Earlier this year, Sylvester Stallone revealed that work had begun on a sequel to last year's The Expendables, which starred a host of high-profile action stars, including Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dolph Lundgren.

Total Film reports that studio Lionsgate announced at CinemaCon that the official release date for the project will be August 17 2012.

The film does not yet have a director attached, after Stallone ruled himself out of writing and directing the sequel.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Jean-Claude Van Damme could be in line for a role in the production, in place of Steven Seagal.

Stallone has previously told Twitter followers that The Expendables 2 "is taking a more hard edged tone - An Extreme case of Male-Pattern-Baddness is arising (sic)".