Rupert Grint wouldn't rule out Potter return

Rupert Grint has confessed that he wouldn't rule out a return to Harry Potter in the future.

The actor - who plays Ron Weasley in the big-screen adaptations of J.K. Rowling's wizarding series - revealed that he is unsure how the franchise could continue if another book were to be written, but would be curious to see how his character has progressed.

"I'm not sure. I wouldn't actually completely rule it out. I was always a big fan of the books and over the years I've become quite attached to Ron and we've meshed into the same person, really," he explained to Parade.

"But yeah, I don't know. I don't know how it would really work. I would like to play the middle-aged Ron, yeah. We'll have to wait and see."

Grint, who previously said that he would miss the Potter experience, went on to admit that he could not imagine his life without it.

"[Harry Potter] was such a massive part of my life. It really has been my life. I can't really remember a life before it," he added.

Cannes 2011: Monsters sequel on the way

Monsters, the micro-budget breakout that wowed the industry with its intimate story and home-computer rendered CGI, has been tapped for a sequel.

The film will follow a 'Heart of Darkness' tale of two brothers trying to find each other in a walled city.

Commercial Directors Brent Bonacorso and Jesse Atlas will direct, with producer Allan Niblo promising to 'keep the quality and intelligence of the first film and make it much more of a genre pic.'

He added "Monsters 2 will expand the world created in the original whilst upping the action ante."
The sequel is expected to introduce a wider variety of aliens than seen in the original.

Gareth Edwards, the Brit-director responsible for the original will serve as executive producer, along with lead actor Scoot McNairy.

With a budget under $5 million, the pic is expected to shoot in September in South America.

Gareth Edwards will next be directing a big-budget Godzilla reboot

Emily Browning: Charlotte Gainsbourg inspired me

Emily Browning has said that she was inspired by Charlotte Gainsbourg's performance in Antichrist when playing Lucy in Sleeping Beauty.

Speaking at a Cannes press conference, Browning revealed that director Julia Leigh urged her to watch Lars Von Trier's controversial movie before she shot her film.

Browning said: "Julia and I had two weeks to just really pull apart the script and talk about every detail. Julia gave me some films to watch, and I remember the first one she told me to watch was Antichrist.

"It was really just to see Charlotte Gainsbourg's performance. That kind of bravery was really inspiring to me. To see that someone could be that open and that brave and give so much of themselves to a role."

Gainsbourg has reunited with Von Trier for Melancholia, which also premieres at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Of her response when she was first approached about Sleeping Beauty, Browning told reporters.: "I said yes immediately. When I read the script I was really affected and felt really uncomfortable - in the best possible way. I loved the idea of challenging myself in that sense."

Asked about the innocence of her character, Browning said: "I physically look - I suppose - kind of innocent, but I don't consider Lucy [to be innocent]. I think she's very aware - I don't see her as a victim in any way. There is something perverse about her willingness to let the forces around her control her life and what she's doing."

Director Leigh added: "It's a radical form of submission... if the world is going to function on using or exploiting people in all sorts of ways, then maybe her perverse provocation is, 'My cheek is turned. Try me'. She really puts herself out there and tests herself in all sorts of ways."

Cannes 2011: Restless first reaction

After winning the Palme d’Or in 2003 for his Columbine-inspired arthouse flick Elephant, Gus Van Sant returned to Cannes today with another troubled-kid drama – Restless.

Kicking off the Un Certain Regard section of the festival, the film follows a death-obsessed teen (Henry ‘son of Dennis’ Hopper) who crashes other folks’ funerals and is best mates with the ghost of a WW2 kamikaze pilot.

It’s at one of these memorials that he meets Annabel (Mia Wasikowska), a cancer sufferer with whom he strikes up a relationship. You can pretty much guess where it goes from here.

Make no mistake, this is not the Van Sant we were expecting. Eschewing the edge and rawness of his former festival winner, Restless sits much more in the Good Will Hunting category.

Featuring a cloying acoustic score from Danny Elfman, Restless is often too twee for its own good, with a disappointingly predictable and overly saccharine final act.

Having said that, it’s certainly no disaster – the film is beautifully shot, while its two young leads make for a believable couple that you can’t help but root for.

Wasikowska is definitely the standout here, though, giving a fragile yet quirky performance that will still have plenty of lumps in throats and could well gift her a Best Actress nomination come Oscar time.

Van Sant: 'Henry Hopper is like dad Dennis'

Gus Van Sant has said that Henry Hopper is very much like his famous father Dennis, who died a year ago.

Henry stars in Van Sant's Restless, which premiered this week at the 64th Cannes Film Festival.

Van Sant told The Hollywood Reporter that he could "very strongly" tell that Henry was Dennis's son when he was working him.

"He resembles his father," the director explained. "There were a lot of things that reminded me of Dennis, especially his early career."

Describing his movie, Van Sant added: "It has a certain fantasy element to it. The tone is very light in the face of very dark adversity, but the characters are kind of making the most of their lives while they can, so it has a kind of light story.

"The characters don't really see a reason to become disenchanted with their lives. They're looking on the bright side."

Keith Allen Diana documentary may screen in London

Keith Allen has suggested that his Princess Diana documentary Unlawful Killing may be screened in London.

The director had previously claimed that his refusal to censor the film meant that it would not be broadcast in the UK.

Speaking at a press conference for the film in Cannes, Allen said: "I haven't made any cuts of the 87 that were suggested, which is contributing to why the film isn't being shown in England.

"When you want to screen a film in England you have to have insurance, and the only way to get insurance is to be lawyer-approved."

He added: "I could get lawyer approval if I made the 87 cuts, which I wasn't prepared to make.

"It's an ongoing process, there's a chance it may be seen in England. We're in talks with the [BFI] London Film Festival and it could be shown there."

Watch the Unlawful Killing trailer below:

Tilda Swinton: 'Childbirth is violent'

Tilda Swinton has said that films usually present a romanticised portrayal of childbirth.

Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival press conference for We Need To Talk About Kevin, the 50-year-old mother of twins compared movie versions of childbirth to reality.

Swinton said: "In the movies when people have babies, particularly in television films, when they're in a hospital room - there's flowers everywhere and they're all powdered and made-up magically.

"They have baby and it's all really lovely and they start getting pink baby clothes and it's all just flowers. Anyone who has been in that zone - even I'd suggest anyone who's been to visit someone who's in that zone - will know that that is fiction."

She added: "It's a truly, truly murderous business, giving birth, and it's violent. It's a violent place to go.

"If one can't embrace that - and it's really hard to embrace that - then you're up a gum tree, because your'e cutting off a part of yourself."

Terminator rights could get bought by Indie financier

Indie film producer Megan Ellison has made a bid for the rights to the new Terminator film.

With Arnold Schwarzenegger keen to return for a fifth time-travelling action-fest, and Justin Lin pitching his idea for a fivequel all over town, Ellison has emerged as an unusual potential financier for the film.

An auction is taking place at the moment as the rights to Terminator move to change hands, with Lionsgate a clear frontrunner to take home the contract.

But now Ellison’s production company Annapurna Pictures has made an attempt to outbid Lionsgate.

Who is Ellison? Well, she’s currently funding Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film, as well as Kathryn Bigelow’s Kill Bin Laden and The Wettest Country In The World.

Which could mean that we’d be in for a treat if she takes home the Terminator rights. Seeing as Annapurna isn't a big Hollywood studio, could that mean less meddling and a better final product? Dare to dream...

Cannes 2011: Emily Browning on Sleeping Beauty

On taking the role...

"There was no hesitation, I was sent the script and halfway through I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I had no idea who was making it, I knew whoever had written it was also directing. I thought 'I wanna be a part of this'. I had such a visceral reaction to the script, it made me so physically uncomfortable, which I think is a good thing, when something affects you that much.When I met Julia we clicked instantly, and even though she'd never made a film before it was so clear in the script that she had such a knowledge of cinema - the way it was written was so cinematic already, that I just trusted her instincts.The fact that she was being mentored by Jane Campion, and that she could just call Jane up if she had a problem - that made me feel pretty safe also."


On her character, Lucy...
"Julia is an amazing writer, and it was very, very clear to me on the page who Lucy was. Obviously you bring your own subtleties I suppose, but the character was very clear from the start. Also, when I met Julia I thought, 'Oh, you're kind of like Lucy.' I think this characters is in some ways like Julia, and so that actually helped me a lot, just watching Julia. I don't know if she realised what was happening (laughs).When we finished the film, Jane Campion wrote me a letter and said there's a duality with you and Julia, she saw that that was there too, between Julia and the way I'd played the character. I took a lot of Julia and the way that I saw her and put that into Lucy, but it was very clear on the page to me as well."


On preparing for the role...
"I watched Belle Du Jour, obviously, everyone guesses that (laughs).
I watched Anti Christ at Julia's request, less because there's a similarity in the female characters, but because Charlotte Gainsbourgh's performance in that film was so brave. She totally threw herself into that role, and that was inspiring to see somebody else do that. Another film that I really connected with in terms of this film was The Piano Teacher by Michael Hanneke.
I think Isabelle Huppert's character in that film is similar to Lucy in her coldness, and stillness, and the perverse fascination with the disturbing things going on around her.



On the nudity in film...


Nudity isn't a taboo in European film, which is great. I think that's the best attitude - everybody has one, I don't really see an issue there.In Australia people have been a little bit weird about it to me, and I think in America it's absolutely still a taboo, which I don't get.I don't really understand. People are saying 'oh you're being exploited' but I entirely disagree.I felt as though I had so much control in terms of this character. I really trusted Julia, and I think it's far more freeing to play a character where you feel so comfortable that you can be naked, but it's not exploitative. I would feel far more used if I was playing  a vacuous arm candy in a romantic comedy. I couldn't think of anything worse, it's really not my cup of tea. In this industry if you're not passionate about the work you're making it can become a sad place, if you're there just for money or exposure it can become kind of devastation. I'm far more interested in playing challenging roles and I feel like this film challenged me so much, now I've got to see how much further I can take it, see if there' anything more intense out there.I don't find this film sexy at all, I mean the scenes in the sleeping chamber, it's disturbing.I felt more comfortable being fully naked than I did being dressed up in lingerie, having to dress sexy - and it was the same thing in Sucker Punch - that made me feel more insecure.
Of course, you get nervous, but after the first time I did it realising that I go into a different world when the camera is on, that it's not really me, I've thrown myself into the character - it didn't really bother me that much.It's more when you see it on that giant screen that you go, 'oh… really?' (laughs), that's when it's more shocking.

'Hanna' to open Sydney Film Fest

A Cate Blanchett movie has been announced as the opener for the Sydney Film Festival.

Espionage thriller Hanna, which is directed by Joe Wright and also stars Eric Bana and Saoirse Ronan, will kick off the event on June 8 this year.

Festival director Clare Stewart told AAP: "Of course we're very excited to be opening with Hanna... and to have Sydney Film Festival's patron Cate Blanchett on the red carpet for our opening night event."

Stars flying in for the event include Jack Black and Lucy Liu, who are coinciding their visit with the Kung Fu Panda 2 promotional tour.

Stewart added: "[There will be] a new big screen at Martin Place, where you'll be able to see trailers from the festival films, coverage of our red carpets and interviews with some of the filmmakers.

"So I think there'll be a much more vibrant presence for the festival in the streets, which is an important thing given that, of course, most film festivals happen in the dark."

The event will run for 11 days and will feature 161 movies, including 29 Australian productions. The closing night movie will be Ewan McGregor's Beginners.

Earlier this year, Blanchett launched a short film competition to campaign against youth homelessness in Australia. She said she wanted Aussies to make "films that raise awareness, tell really inspiring stories and provide solutions that not only touch our hearts, but provoke us into making real action".

Katie Holmes, Crawford for 'Responsible Adults'

Katie Holmes and Chace Crawford have joined romantic comedy Responsible Adults.

The film, written by Alex Schemmer, is about a 30-year-old medical student who falls for a 22-year-old man. However, the woman finds out that she was his babysitter 15 years ago.

Dawson's Creek and Kennedys star Holmes will portray the medical student, whileGossip Girl regular Crawford has signed on to play the younger man.

Filming on the movie, to be directed by John Poll, will begin in the autumn in Los Angeles.

Crawford was recently sentenced to perform 24 hours of community service after beingcharged with possession of marijuana.

Meanwhile, Holmes filed a lawsuit in March against Star after the magazine used a misleading cover title, though the two parties later settled. The wife of Tom Cruise is also currently running a fashion label with her stylist Jeanne Yang, and this weekemployed her stepdaughter as an intern there.

Rachel Weisz bound for The Bourne Legacy

Just in case you're wondering, yes, Rachel Weisz is back.

Having kept a relatively low profile since her last big movie outing, The Lovely Bones in 2009, Weisz recently entered talks to play evil witch Theodora in Sam Raimi’s Oz, The Great And Powerful.

Now the Brit actress has begun negotiations to also join The Bourne Legacy. A pseudo-reboot of the Matt Damon-led franchise, Jeremy Renner is already attached as the series’ new lead.

Weisz is currently interested in playing the role of an operative from a covert government program that is similar to the Treadstone brainwashing program that created Bourne.

However, the scheduling of Oz and Bourne could mean that Weisz will only be able to join one of the films.
Which presents her with an interesting choice – the actress has favoured both political dramas and out-of-this-world fantasy in her past, but which will win out this time?

The Bourne Legacy commences filming this September with director/writer Tony Gilroy.

Kristen Wiig honoured to work with Clayburgh

Kristen Wiig has confessed that she felt "honoured" to work with Jill Clayburgh in Bridesmaids before the actress died.

Clayburgh passed away in November 2010 after a long struggle with leukaemia at the age of 66.

Talking to US Weekly, Wiig, who co-wrote and co-starred in the film, described Clayburgh as a "maternal" spirit on set and revealed that several of the late actress's "dirty" jokes were removed from the final cut out of respect.

"I felt honoured the moment she signed on to do the film. She was a very maternal, nurturing spirit," Wiig explained.

"She was also game for anything. There were times when she was saying things and I would just start laughing. I was like, 'Oh, my god, I'm making Jill Clayburgh talk about motor-boating', which didn't end up in the movie. She was amazing."

Bridesmaids co-star Jon Hamm recently revealed that he had "fun" shooting sex scenes for the movie with Wiig.

Vin Diesel: 'Fast & Furious 5 deserves Oscar'

Vin Diesel has said that he sees no reason why his new film Fast & Furious 5 would not be a contender at next year's Academy Awards.

Diesel reunited with original Fast and the Furious stars Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster for the fifth entry in the franchise, and claimed that he feels the film is worthy of some recognition.

"I wouldn't be surprised if there is some Oscar talk around this," Diesel told the Los Angeles Times. "I don't know, maybe I'm just biting off what some guy from Channel 7 thought."

Diesel added that he believes films like Fast & Furious 5 are often discriminated against by critics and award ceremonies because they appeal to a different type of audience.

"But sooner or later people are gonna say, 'Wait a minute, just because they are for the working class doesn't mean they're not great'," Diesel added.

The Justin Lin-directed film broke Universal's box office records when it opened two weekends ago, taking $83.6 million (£51.1m) domestically in its first weekend.

The director recently confirmed that a sixth Fast and the Furious movie is already in the works

Joaquin Phoenix to star in religious cult film

Joaquin Phoenix has officially signed up to the cast of P.T. Anderson's new film.

The actor will play an alcoholic drifter who joins a religious cult led by Philip Seymour Hoffman's character, before having doubts about his faith, Deadline reports.

It will be his first film since the controversial mockumentary I'm Still Here where he played himself.

Anderson is reportedly considering Amy Adams, Laura Dern and Lena Endre for the lead female roles.

Shooting will begin in June, following the Weinstein Company's successful bid for the worldwide rights for the film, formerly titled The Master.

Phoenix is also rumoured to be in talks for the horror comedy Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

Tom Cruise 'too busy' for 'Glee' cameo

Tom Cruise has denied suggestions that he will film a guest appearance on an upcoming episode of Glee.

Last month, sources close to the show claimed that Cruise was close to signing for a multi-episode arc as a failed popstar forced to lead one of McKinley High's rival glee clubs.

Speaking to Extra, the star was questioned as to whether there were any veracity to the reports linking him to the hit Fox sitcom.

"No," Cruise replied. "I'm busy."

While he won't be appearing on Glee in the near future, Cruise noted that he's "having a blast" working on the movie musical Rock of Ages.

"I just like doing different things and it's a dream come true to get an opportunity to do [a film] that's totally different," Cruise affirmed. "I've been training for months and months. I'm very excited about the cast and working with [director] Adam [Shankman]."

It was reported yesterday that frequent Glee guest star Gwyneth Paltrow might join the show's cast on their upcoming live tour.

Glee returns with new episode 'Prom Queen' on Tuesday at 8pm ET/7pm CT on Fox. In the UK, the series airs Mondays at 9pm on E4.

Keith Allen's Princess Diana film to screen at Cannes

Keith Allen will premiere his controversial documentary about the death of Princess Diana at the Cannes Film Festival this week.

The actor and filmmaker, who has appeared in Robin Hood, Shallow Grave and Trainspotting, is to debut Unlawful Killing on May 13 after working on the project for three years.

The feature will mix interviews with recreations of the official inquest into the Paris car crash that killed the Princess, her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and their driver Henri Paul. The film includes contributions from the late Tony Curtis, Howard Stern, Kitty Kelley, Mohamed Al Fayed, Piers Morgan and Michael Mansfield QC, while Dave Stewart of Eurythmics provides an original score.

The documentary alleges that "dark forces" within the British establishment rushed to cover up Diana's death in 1997. Its premiere this Friday will coincide with what would have been the Princess of Wales's 50th Birthday.

Allen said of Unlawful Killing's Cannes debut: "Screening this film in Cannes for the world's media will be both exhilarating and terrifying for me. As far back as 2004, I had been intrigued by Mohammed Al Fayed's unrelenting determination to seek answers to the questions surrounding the death of his son, Dodi and Princess Diana.

"By going 'undercover' at the inquest, I hoped to reconcile some of my own suspicions too - but what I experienced was horrifying. This film is, in short, the inquest of the inquest."

The 64th Cannes Film Festival runs from May 11 to May 20.

Matt Damon chooses script for directorial debut

Matt Damon has reportedly decided on a script for his debut as a film director.

Deadline claims that Damon is interested in both starring in and helming the film attached to Matthew Aldrich's much-hyped script for Father Daughter Time: A Tale of Armed Robbery and Eskimo Kisses.

Warner Bros are in the process of finalising a deal for the rights to the script, after a heated bidding war in Hollywood that also involved offers from Paramount Pictures and Fox.

"The script is not high concept, it's a smallish, very personal, dark but playful road movie about a father and daughter," Aldrich said.

Warner Bros are also allegedly keen to produce the film through Damon's own production company Pearl Street.

The project will be Damon's first as director, although he both starred in and co-wrote the Academy Award-winning film Good Will Hunting in 1997.

Damon will next be seen in the Kenneth Lonergan drama Margaret, the Steven Soderbergh thriller Contagion and Cameron Crowe's new comedy We Bought a Zoo.

Natalie Portman 'may quit acting for baby'

Natalie Portman has suggested that she will retire from acting to raise her children.

The Oscar-winning star of Thor, who is expecting her first child with fiancé Benjamin Millepied this summer, spoke of her desire to emulate screen icon Audrey Hepburn and step away from an illustrious career to start a family.

She argued to The Sun's Buzz Magazine: "Audrey made some good choices in life... More and more I realise how unimportant it is to be in the history books or anything like that. Putting time and energy into your children - that's valuable."

Despite drawing heavily from Hepburn's career, Portman added that she has her own methods for achieving perfection on a film shoot.

She said: "If someone is being nasty on set, I lose my focus... Being kind and calm, that's the discipline."

Portman recently claimed that she is superstitious about her pregnancy.