Olivia Wilde joining Bradley Cooper in The Words

Olivia Wilde has officially signed on for The Words, a thriller from TRON: Legacy writers Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal. The film will mark the pair's directorial debut.

The Words, which grabbed attention when it sat on the Black List of the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood, sees Cooper's writer face the consequences of stealing another person's work.

There's no word on the character Wilde will be playing yet, and it's thought that she won't actually be sharing any scenes with Cooper.

Ben Barnes, John Hannah, JK Simmons and Nora Arnezeder are joining already-cast supporting players Jeremy Irons, Zoe Saldana and Dennis Quaid.

That's a pretty sizeable bunch of actors for what sounds like a straightforward premise, so it'll be interesting to see where Klugman and Sternthal are taking the idea.

Wilde will next be seen in this summer's Cowboys & Aliens, and she has also completed work on (deep breath) Butter, The Change-Up, In Time, Blackbird and Welcome To People.

Cooper is riding high on the success of The Hangover: Part II right now. He has recently signed on for The Place Beyond The Pines, and is also considering roles in Paradise Lost and The Crow.

Rachel McAdams in The Vow trailer

The first trailer for weepie romance The Vow has arrived online for your viewing pleasure.

Its stars have previous form with this kind of thing, and the promo is keen to remind you that Channing Tatum starred in Dear John and Rachel McAdams was in The Notebook.

Surprisingly though, this isn't based on a novel by schmaltz-master Nicholas Sparks.

It plays out like a serious 50 First Dates, as a car accident gives Paige (McAdams) a bout of amnesia, meaning her hubbie Leo (Tatum) has to win her heart all over again.

While there's nothing groundbreaking in the trailer, it targets its very specific audience like a keenly eyed romantic sniper.

Check it out for yourself below:

 

Mélanie Laurent: 'Bring on Basterds prequel'

Mélanie Laurent has revealed that she is looking forward to the Inglourious Basterds prequel.

Quentin Tarantino said two years ago that a prequel to the 2009 movie was half-written, stating at the time that he would make the prequel if Inglourious Basterds proved to be a success.

Laurent, who played the ill-fated Shossana Dreyfus in the film, spoke to E! News about the possibility of doing a prequel.

"If Quentin wants to do that then I hope Shosanna will be in it," Laurent said. "I really hope so."

Elsewhere, Brad Pitt (Lt. Aldo Raine) previously expressed an interest in making a second Inglourious Basterds film as well.

Inglourious Basterds opened to $37.6 million in the US, ultimately earning $320.3 million (£195m) worldwide. It is Tarantino's highest grossing film to date.

Tarantino is currently at work on Django Unchained, which will feature Inglourious Basterds star Christoph Waltz.

Django Unchained is scheduled to begin production later this year.

'Hangover II' Ken Jeong: "I'm not a joke machine"

The Hangover Part II actor Ken Jeong has insisted that he is nothing like the wild characters he often portrays.

The Michigan native, who practiced medicine before pursuing acting full-time, is best known for his roles as the gangster Mr Chow in the Hangover films and Community's bizarre Spanish teacher Ben Chang.

Jeong disclosed to Parade that his own personality is often quite subdued, noting: "When the cameras are off, I'm not a joke machine or in your face Chang-ing it up. People would be surprised at how sensitive I am to other people's feelings.

"I'm definitely a people pleaser. I like people to be happy around me and be comfortable. I go out of my way, sometimes to a fault, to make sure everyone is okay. That quality isn't really evident in my work."

Jeong also admitted that people often have trouble believing that he was a competent physician.

"My wife says all the time that people don't realise I left by my own choice. I was actually a good doctor," the star teased. "I wasn't sued out of medicine, I wasn't arbitrated out of the profession. I still keep email contact with patients to this day."

Fellow Hangover Part II star Zach Galifianakis revealed recently that he doesn't care for big summer blockbusters.

Actress Miriam Karlin dies, aged 85

Miriam Karlin has died at the age of 85.

The actress, best known for her roles as Paddy in sitcom The Rag Trade and the cat lady in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, passed away in St John's Hospital, London today after a battle with cancer.

Born Miriam Samuels in 1925, Karlin also featured in The Entertainer and Room at the Top, and more recently appeared in Flashbacks of a Fool and Children of Men. She was also known for her active membership of the Equity union.

Equity spokesman Martin Brown told The Stage: "She was a wonderful actress, an absolutely indefatigable campaigner and a marvellous friend. We will miss her enormously."

Karlin also starred as Golde in the original West End run of Fiddler on the Roof and played roles in episodes of Doctors, The Bill, Casualty and So Haunt Me.

'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' full trailer debuts

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is looking to wash away the taste of Tim Burton's disastrous 2001 remake, taking the iconic science fiction series back to the beginning as it explores how that damned dirty ape Caesar led a chimp uprising against humanity.

James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Andy Serkis, Brian Cox and Tom Felton star in the movie, directed by The Escapist helmer Rupert Wyatt. Rise of the Planet of the Apes opens in the US on August 5 and the UK on August 12.

Watch the trailer for Rise of the Planet of the Apes below:

 

Teaser Trailer: ‘The Human Centipede 2

IFC has already decided to stand behind Tom Six‘s sequel to his well-publicized horror manifesto The Human Centipede (First Sequence), and today released a teaser for The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence). That title refers to the fact that, in this film, there are many more people joined end to end to create a much longer human centipede…yeah. OK. Check the teaser and some comments from Mr. Six, after the break.

Six told IFC.com that he didn’t want to show his secrets too early:

We didn’t want to reveal that much in the first teaser. So we couldn’t show much except for me. So you see me walk through one of our locations and then I reveal one of the lead characters in the story with a box on his head…We didn’t want to show any material from the set because then you’d see what the centipede looks like and get a peek at the surprise. But you do get a glimpse of the lead actor and he’s really crazy.

He also says that this film’s twelve-person assembly is a thing to behold:

When you see the 12-person centipede on the set, it’s so many people! If you did like 25 people, you’d need an entire street to shoot it. The sets would have to get bigger and bigger to get all the wide angle shots. It would be pretty crazy.

But will it be better than the first film, or just a lot more crazy? This teaser doesn’t give us much to go on. I didn’t find this quite as entertaining as I think Six wants me to, and I couldn’t figure out why did didn’t just walk and talk — what’s with the voice-over? But I’m obviously over-thinking it.

And, if you’re wondering, this is totally safe for work. For whatever that’s worth.

'X-Men' James McAvoy: 'Professor X has ego'

James McAvoy has revealed that X-Men: First Class presents his character Professor Charles Xavier in a more gritty light than most comics fans might be used to.


The Scottish actor stressed that director Matthew Vaughn's film explores the darker side of the mutant's personality in order to paint a more accurate picture of the heroic Professor X.


"You give him an ego. You give him a sex drive. You make him a little more selfish. You give him a sense of humour," USA Today quotes him as saying. "You don't make him wise."


McAvoy also explained that joining X-Men: First Class proved to be the fulfilment of a childhood dream, adding that he has always been intrigued by the journey that leads Professor Xavier to become founder of the X-Men.


"I loved the cartoon when I was a kid - in the early '90s. My friend and I got really into it, actually. My favourite character wasn't Professor X. My favourite character was Gambit," he added.


"I met Matthew, the director, and he seemed quite cool and irreverent. I said, 'If we do this, can we take the character as far away as realised in the [previous three] movies?' There's no point in doing a movie if you're not going to show the transition."


Director Vaughn recently revealed that X-Men: First Class was influenced by the James Bond film series.

Jesse Eisenberg for 'While We're Young'?

Jesse Eisenberg is in negotiations to star in The Squid and the Whale director Noah Baumbach's latest project.

While We're Young centres on an older couple who start feeling detached from their social circle until they meet a younger pair who give them a new lease of life.

Ben Stiller has committed to playing the husband, while Baumbach and Scott Rudin, producer of The Social Network, are keen on casting Cate Blanchett as his partner, says the Los Angeles Times.

Eisenberg previously starred in The Squid and the Whale, while Stiller played the title role in Baumbach's Greenberg.

The 27-year old actor recently admitted that his Oscar-nominated turn in The Social Network was not his career best, but declined to reveal which film he ranked the highest.

Watch the trailer for The Squid and the Whale below

Twilight: Breaking Dawn teaser footage debuts

A short preview of the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn trailer has been released online.

The 15-second video debuts ahead of this weekend's unveiling of the teaser trailer for the Twilight finale at the MTV Movie Awards. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 opens in cinemas on November 18, while Part 2 will arrive in November 2012.

'The Hangover II' opens to £10m at UK box office

The Hangover Part II has topped the UK box office with a £10 million opening.

The comedy sequel, which sees Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms's characters head to Bangkok, welcomed impressive ticket sales thanks to a Thursday release and screenings on Bank Holiday Monday.

The Hangover Part II's £10 million total is the second highest debut of 2011, behind Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and easily outpaces the £3.1 million opening for The Hangover in 2009.

Last week's number one movie On Stranger Tides falls to second spot, Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 is a new entry at three, Thor slips to number four and Fast & Furious 5 rounds out the top five.

Elsewhere, the extended Bank Holiday break proved fruitful for 3D family animation Rio, which climbs a place to number six.

The mid-week release of X-Men: First Class will provide strong competition for The Hangover Part II, with the Marvel prequel looking to claim the box office top spot this weekend.

The UK box office top ten in full:

1. (-) The Hangover Part II - £10,409,017
2. (1) Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - £4,757,411
3. (-) Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules - £1,476,720
4. (3) Thor - £335,103
5. (2) Fast & Furious 5 - £322,506
6. (7) Rio - £300,865
7. (4) Insidious - £208,313
8. (6) Hanna - £148,339
9. (5) Attack the Block - £142,919
10. (8) Water for Elephants - £129,143

Angelina Jolie 'will not be sexy Cleopatra'

Angelina Jolie has spoken of her determination to ensure that her take on Cleopatra is not seen as a "sex symbol".

The Oscar-winning actress, who was cast in a big-screen adaptation of Queen of the Nile, Cleopatra: A Life last June, pledged to make her interpretation of the Egyptian legend deeper than the "great beauty" of Elizabeth Taylor's iconic performance in the 1960s.

"She has been very misunderstood," she told Stella Magazine. "I thought it was all about the glamour, but then I read about her and she was a very strong mother, she spoke five languages and she was a leader.

"My performance will never be as lovely as Elizabeth's. We are trying to get into a different truth about her as a pharaoh in history and not a sex symbol, because she really wasn't.

"Even this idea of her having many lovers - it was possible that it was only two. She is very interesting, but she wasn't a great beauty."

Jolie previously named Social Network director David Fincher as her choice to helm the 2013 epic. Bourne mastermind Paul Greengrass is said to be the project's frontrunner.

James Cameron, who was himself rumoured to be involved with the Cleopatra remake, previously declared that Jolie's performance will be "hot".

'Hangover Part III' to be set in Amsterdam?

The Hangover Part II's stars have suggested that Amsterdam is the most likely location for a potential third film in the series.

Speaking to Moviefone at the sequel's recent Las Vegas premiere, actress Jamie Chung, who plays' Stu's fiancée in the film, suggested that it is the obvious choice.

"Probably Amsterdam," Chung said, regarding her pick for the third film's setting. "It you think of the coolest, craziest cities in the world, it would have to be Las Vegas, Bangkok and Amsterdam."

"Amsterdam could be a different kind of hangover," co-star Justin Bartha agreed. "It could be fun. And Zach [Galifianakis] would probably already be there."

A third Hangover film has yet to be officially greenlit, but director Todd Phillips has already admitted that he plans to round off the series with one last entry.

The Hangover Part II topped the US box office this weekend and has taken an estimated $137.4 million domestically since its release last Thursday.

Matthew Modine's 'Batman' role detailed

Matthew Modine's role in The Dark Knight Rises has apparently been detailed.

According to Showbiz 411, the Full Metal Jacket actor is portraying "a politician and a key villain" named Nixon.

Modine joined the project earlier this month, along with Oscar nominee Tom Conti. The report went on to say that he will film his scenes during the movie's London shoot.

The Dark Knight Rises will serve as the final chapter in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. It sees Christian Bale reprise his role as the Caped Crusader as the character takes on Tom Hardy's Bane and - as has been widely rumoured - The League of Shadows.

Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard will also appear in the film alongside returning cast members Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman.

The Dark Knight Rises arrives in US and UK cinemas on July 20, 2012.

Emma Watson 'terrified by Harry Potter scenes'

Emma Watson has revealed that she was "genuinely terrified" by certain scenes in the upcoming movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

The actress, who plays Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, said that the special effects were so realistic that they left her in shock.

The 21-year-old, who will soon be seen in drama movie My Week With Marilyn, explained that production staff "put plugs in [the actors'] ears to protect [their] eardrums", although it was still possible to "hear because [they were] so close to the bangs".

The Harry Potter actress added that there was one scene where bombs were "detonated... right next to [them]", leaving her "absolutely, genuinely terrified".

Rupert Grint, who stars alongside Watson as Ron Weasley, also commented to Empire that "it turned into a bit of a war film".

Grint considered the climactic scene "shocking" since those left dead "are all kids".

Alexandra Burke offered 'Bodyguard' lead?

Alexandra Burke has reportedly been offered the lead role in a West End adaptation of the 1992 romantic thriller The Bodyguard.

The former X Factor winner is said to have been tapped for the part played by singer Whitney Houston in the original film, after the show's producers were impressed by her voice.

"Alexandra is torn," a source told The Sun. "The show would be an amazing gig and especially in London while the Olympics are on and it's in the spotlight.

"But she also has her second album to think about."

Burke recently said that work was going well on the follow-up to her number one debut album Overcome.

Warner Bros. has confirmed that it is in the process of producing a remake of The Bodyguard.

Theatre bosses are hoping to have the West End version of the movie ready to launch in 2012

Rachel Weisz The Whistleblower trailer

The first trailer for The Whistleblower, starring Rachel Weisz, has landed online.

Based on true events, the film tells the story of Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska policewoman who uncovered the shocking truth behind a sex-trafficking scandal in post-war Bosnia.

Coming across as a kind of anti-Erin Brockovich, this looks like it gives Oscar-winner Weisz another role to really get her teeth into.

Eschewing any sort of glamour and steering clear of histrionics, it would be a surprise if this performance didn't garner Weisz some awards heat.

Keep your eyes peeled for Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch, who can be spotted getting his mouth around an impressively convincing American accent.

Pairing a solid cast (Monica Bellucci, Vanessa Redgrave, David Strathairn) with a gripping real-life case, this is worth keeping a close eye on.

Check out the trailer here:

Rachel McAdams 'enjoys playing new characters'

Rachel McAdams has revealed that she enjoys playing different types of roles.


In her latest film Midnight in Paris, McAdams plays Inez, the levelheaded and rather dispassionate wife of Owen Wilson's character. According to Star Pulse, the 32-year-old, who typically plays charismatic characters, looked forward to the different role.


She said: "If I had made her likeable, it really wouldn't have worked, so she was a necessary foil. I was happy to play into that."


The actress went on to describe what she liked about her character.


"She was outrageous at times and could be quite extreme," said McAdams. "I liked her practicality. I liked that she didn't pretend to be swept away and she was quite honest about that."


It was recently reported that McAdams is dating her Midnight in Paris co-star Michael Sheen.


The Frost/Nixon star has described his girlfriend as "wonderful", stating that she is one of the most talented actresses that he has ever worked with.

Spielberg: 'Raiders doesn't feel 30 years old'

Steven Spielberg has revealed that it feels surreal that Raiders of the Lost Ark is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

The Jurassic Park director spoke to the Los Angeles Times about the first instalment in the Indiana Jones franchise, stating that he cannot believe that the film was made 30 years ago.

"It's really startling," Spielberg said. "Number one, it seems like it was only five years ago, it does not seem like 30 years ago. And the other great thing is I'm still close to everybody that made the movie."

Spielberg continued: "I love how that Raiders family has stayed together for 30 years. We're all still the closest of friends."

Raiders of the Lost Ark was the first of four Indiana Jones movies starring Harrison Ford as Jones. It was followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

The 64-year-old is executive producing J.J. Abrams's sci-fi thriller Super 8. A new poster for the highly-secretive project was released last week.

Spielberg is also producing a new Fox series starting in the fall titled Terra Nova. The show, which has been described as a family adventure, tells the story of a family that journeys back in time to try to save the human race.

Super 8 opens in cinemas in the US on June 10 and the UK on August 5

'Dragon Tattoo' remake trailer leaks online

A red band trailer for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been released prematurely online.

The film, which stars Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig, is the second adaptation of the bestselling novel from Stieg Larsson. The book has previously been made for the big screen by Swedish director Niels Arden Oplev.

The short teaser trailer flashes a series of images from the film, set to Trent Reznor and Karen O's cover of Led Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song'.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first of a trilogy penned by Larsson. The other two instalments are The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Oplev has criticised Sony Pictures for mounting a US remake, stating that actress Noomi Rapace captured the essence of hacker Lisbeth Salander, the eponymous girl of the trilogy.

The new film also stars Stellan Skarsgård, Robin Wright, Christopher Plummer and Joely Richardson.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo opens in US cinemas on December 21, and in the UK on Boxing Day.

Watch the trailer for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo below:

'Hangover II' earns $86m at US box office

The Hangover Part II has topped the US box office in its opening weekend, taking an estimated $86.4 million over the past three days.

The comedy sequel opened on Thursday, taking its overall domestic revenue so far to a reported $118 million.

Reuniting almost the entire cast of the 2009 box office hit The Hangover, including Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, The Hangover Part II moves the film's setting to Bangkok, Thailand.

Family animation sequel Kung Fu Panda 2 enters in second place taking $48 million for its opening weekend, followed by last week's box-office topper Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides with $39.3 million.

The Paul Feig comedy Bridesmaids follows in fourth place with $16.3 million, while Marvel Studios' latest Thor rounds out the top five with $9.3 million.

Hollywood is now on course to potentially set a new box office revenue record for Memorial Day weekend, once numbers from the full holiday have been confirmed.

Next week sees the release of Matthew Vaughn's comic book prequel X-Men: First Class, starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence.

This week's US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):

1. (-) The Hangover Part II - $86,480,000
2. (-) Kung Fu Panda 2 - $48,000,000
3. (1) Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - $39,320,000
4. (2) Bridesmaids - $16,370,000
5. (3) Thor - $9,365,000
6. (4) Fast Five - $6,698,000
7. (-) Midnight in Paris - $1,919,000
8. (7) Jumping the Broom - $1,900,000
9. (8) Something Borrowed - $1,845,000
10. (5) Rio - $990,000

Riddick 3 To Begin Shooting This Summer

Vin Diesel has been talking up a third Chronicles of Riddick film for nearly two years now. He let his fans know via Facebook at the end of ’09 that the project had already begun location scouting and a few months later he was confirmed to be returning to star in and produce Riddick 3. David Twohy, the man behind both Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick penned the script, which is said to be true to the character, very dark and certainly worthy of a hard R-Rating.

Twohy and Diesel pitched the project to potential buyers a year ago, using footage from the previous films and video games along with concept art from the new film, which will apparently be going with the simple title of Riddick. Now comes word from Vin Diesel himself that the film is good to go and that it can begin production this summer, but with a “catch.”

Diesel went straight to Facebook with the latest Riddick 3 update, explaining that they can shoot the project this summer but that because of financial reasons, he’ll have to take a pay cut of sorts. As a dedicated supporter and the backbone of the Riddick franchise, having a hand in every related project, even producing and voicing the character for the video games, developed by his own video game production company, Tigon Studios, that’s not going to stop the film from happening.

Here’s the post Diesel put up on May 24th:

D T the writer/director just landed in New York with the good news. We can start filming this summer. However, there is a catch… in order for us to make a true R rated film, I must work for scale upfront. Not unlike the “Find me Guilty” experience (which I wouldn’t have changed for the world)…
Money is always second to art, integrity and spirit… but the real issue is deeper. Can I suspend my life, to momentarily venture to that dark place… called Riddick.
Now, I need to hear from Our collective… you.
Wisdom and clarity appreciated.

Clearly on the lookout for some love for working under these conditions, he followed up with another message after reading some of the many responses from fans:

I have read so many interesting and intelligent responses to today’s post.
You all have such great insight… I truly love Our page.
Thank you again for taking the time to weigh in.
P.s. I am off to another meeting with David, the director of Riddick… to see concept art and discuss the potential schedule.

C’mon Vin, we know you want to make this movie as much as we want you to make it.

As for the story of the film, Riddick will be more reminiscent of Pitch Black in that it’ll take a back-to-basics, more focused approach with Riddick fighting for survival on his own on a desolate and dangerous planet. How does he end up in this situation after becoming the leader of the Necromongers? The Necromonger army turn on him, abandoning him on a planet loaded with dangerous creatures including “trisons” (three-legged bisons) and “mud demons.” There will also be more bounty hunters on his tail so it’ll be interesting to see if Riddick 3 will end the character’s story or allow for the franchise to continue.

Coming off the incredible success of Fast Five, a film which provided an early start to 2011′s summer film season, there’s no better time than now for the 43 year-old actor to return to one of his other franchises.

Shannon Elizabeth Joins American Reunion

The American Pie series is an odd series. The first film, which made waves for its infamous pie scene, wasn't a bad teen sex comedy. Then along came number two, which wasn't too bad either. And then there was American Wedding, and despite being the third installment of what was essentially a milked franchise, it still wasn't a terrible movie. Now we're at the odd part. American Reunion is in the works and is being referred to as the fourth film in the franchise. And while it will be the fourth in the franchise to feature the principal cast, it's a little weird to completely ignore the four spinoff films that have been released. If you take those into consideration, American Reunion will be the eighth film in the series. Hooray for franchises!

Those who enjoy the series will be happy to know that casting is just about complete, with Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Mena Suvari, Jennifer Coolidge, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Eugene Levy, and now Shannon Elizabeth all signed on to reprise their roles. Katrina Bowden of 30 Rock fame will also be in the film, portraying Chris Klein's character's girlfriend. Chris Owen, who played the nerdy Chuck "The Sherminator" Sherman, is rumored to be returning as well.

As much as I hate to see franchises get milked, I'm a sucker for nostalgia and American Pie was a big part of my teenage years, so I'm reluctantly looking forward to this.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's cancer comedy 50/50 gets a trailer

The first trailer for cancer comedy 50/50, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, has landed online.


The film is loosely based on the real-life experience of screenwriter Will Reiser, as JGL's happy-go-lucky 27-year-old, Adam, is struck down in his prime by the big C.


It's not as grim as all that sounds though, with the comedic snarkiness bringing a refreshing edge to what could have been 'TV movie of the week' material.


While it may be too risky for awards season, it looks like it'll give Gordon-Levitt another boost on the path to becoming one of the most consistently impressive actors of his generation.


Seth Rogen is on hand to provide lowbrow support, and the impressive cast-list also finds room for Bryce Dallas Howard as Adam's girlfriend, Anna Kendrick as a counsellor and Anjelica Huston as the concerned mother.


Check out the trailer for yourself now: