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Saturday, December 31, 2011

HOLLYWOOD SPY'S SPOTLIGHT ON "SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN" WITH CHARLIZE THERON, CHRIS HEMSWORTH & SAM CLAFLIN PLUS A BRAND NEW TRAILER!

The last trailer I have for you, my little freaks, in this year, is the latest international trailer for SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN
which hits cinemas in June next year, about two months after Tarsem's rival project MIRROR MIRROR robs US box offices. The new Russian trailer bellow offers some scenes we haven't seen in the first official trailer earlier this year. It also promises some really mind blowing scenes,  spectacular visuals and awe-striking sets. The film might be really good, off course if you can stand Kristen Stewart, as most people can't, and if you can swallow the ridiculous part which defies all laws of logic and nature in which mirror says to Charlize Theron that Stewart is prettier than her :) Yep, and me is prettier than Chris Hemsworth :)
SNOW WHITE STORY
The story of the SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN will bring a gritty new take on the legendary fairy tale in which the Huntsman (played by Thor himself Chris Hemsworth) has an expanded role from the one in the classic fairy tale. In the original story, he is ordered to take Snow White into the woods, kill her and bring her heart to the Evil Queen Ravenna (here played by Charlize Theron who looks rather magnificent in the costume), but instead lets her go. But in SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN the two will be chained together for part of the movie as they make their escape. But this doesn't mean that the Huntsman is Snow White's love interest,
because the prince is still in the story (prince Charmant is played by super charismatic Sam Claflin from PILLARS OF THE EARTH and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN). The huntsman here has a task of being Snow White's mentor, teaching the teen girl to fight and survive and teaching her how to fight back the Evil Queen. The cast also includes Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Lily Cole and Toby Jones.
SNOW WHITE TIDBITS
All seven dwarves in SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN carry the names of famous Roman emperors which means that Ian McShane appears as Caesar, Eddie Izzard as Tiberius, Bob Hoskins as Constantine, Toby Jones as Claudius, Eddie Marsan as Hadrian, Stephen Graham as Nero, Ray Winstone as Trajan and Nick Frost as Gus (short from Augustus).
The idea of the studio is to make this one into a trilogy of films. It is interesting that both MIRROR MIRROR and SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN are more focusing on the Evil Queens and the strong charisma's of Charlize Theron and Julia Roberts than on Snow Whites.
Before Chris Hemsworth got the role of the Huntsman, the strong contenders were Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy and at one point even Johnny Depp, but for a long time Viggo Mortensen was almost
locked for the role, but he decided to leave the project which wasn't promising at all at the time after which Hugh Jackman was the second huge star to refuse the role.
The first choice for the Evil Queen was Angelina Jolie, while Saoirse Ronan and Emily Browning competed for the Snow White role, and even Lily Collins, who got the role in MIRROR MIRROR, auditioned for this one.
Director of the film, Rupert Sanders, has never helmed a film before this one. The brilliant costumes were designed by famous Colleen Atwood who won Oscars for ALICE IN WONDERLAND, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA and CHICAGO.

Friday, December 30, 2011

GRIPPING TEASER FOR "THE IMPOSSIBLE" WITH EWAN MCGREGOR & NAOMI WATTS! 1ST PICS FROM "CLOUD ATLAS" FROM "THE MATRIX" HELMERS! NEW POSTER FOR "THE PAPERBOY" WITH NICOLE KIDMAN, ZAC EFRON AND MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY

It's seems I will have great pics from an upcoming sf film today again, after yesterday's UPSIDE DOWN photos. Twitch has released first concept art from CLOUD ATLAS, a new film by a trio of directors - Tom Tykwer (RUN LOLA RUN, PERFUME) and Lana and Andy Wachowski (we haven't seen almost anything from the last two ever
since their THE MATRIX saga). These first pics show a futuristic image of Seoul in 2144 in which the film is set. Based on a bestselling book by David Mitchell, the intricate and complex movie features six intertwining story lines set in a different times and places that become intricately related to each other, with actors playing roles in each time. The stories span from the 19th Century to a post apocalyptic 22nd
Century.The cast of the film is rather big and filled with well known names from Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant, Jim Sturgess and Ben Whishaw, to Susan Sarandon, James D'Arcy, Jim Broadbent, Halle Berry....It is also quite unusual that having in mind its $ 100 million budget and 2012 release, the film has had zero marketing so far.
HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES
One of the new posters released today around the net is the first one for THE PAPERBOY, a movie adaptation of Peter Dexter's novel. You
probably remember HOLLYWOOD SPY mentioning this film during the casting process, since they have quite a lot of big names in the cast. The story of the film follows Ward James (Matthew McConaughey), a Miami Times reporter who returns to his hometown to investigate the murder of a local sheriff  and is eventually helped by his younger brother Jack (Zac Efron) as they investigate the possible wrongful conviction of a man on death row. Throughout the process Jack falls for the woman (Nicole Kidman) whom the convict (John Cusack) has been romancing through prison correspondence. The film should hit cinemas sometime next year.

One of the very few clips that have appeared around the net this week is a highly atmospheric and intriguing Spanish teaser for THE IMPOSSIBLE, an English language film debut by  Juan Antonio Bayona,
who directed THE ORPHANAGE. The film, which still doesn't have a US release date stars Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts as a family caught in the tsunami that hit Thailand seven years ago: Maria, Henry and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand, looking forward to a few days in tropical paradise. But on the morning of December 26th, as the family relaxes around the pool after their Christmas festivities, a terrifying roar rises up from the center of the earth. As Maria freezes in fear, a huge wall of black water races across the hotel grounds toward her.
Henry grabs the two youngest boys, but it’s too late: the wave smashes into him with incredible force and dislodges his grip. Maria is pushed
underwater, where she is crushed and battered by debris to the brink of death. She finally surfaces in a raging black sea, which has completely submerged her three-story hotel and the surrounding landscape. Maria gasps for breath while she tries to understand what has just happened,
convinced that her family has been obliterated in the blink of an eye. But then, her eldest son, surfaces a few meters ahead in the wild flood. Face-to-face with something unexpected and incomprehensible, she must fight against all odds for her child’s survival. And her own.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

AMAZING PICS FOR SF FILM "UPSIDE DOWN" WITH KIRSTEN DUNST & JIM STURGESS. NEW TRAILER FOR PERIOD DRAMA "BEL AMI" WITH ROBERT PATTINSON, CHRISTINA RICCI, UMA THURMAN

The end of December and beginning of January are known as the worst weeks in movie news business, so it's not easy finding fresh info in this part of the year. Bare with me people, bare with me, better times are coming ;)
AMAZING UPSIDE DOWN
The first thing I have for you today are the first pictures from one of our most anticipated sf films in 2012, an unusual sf story UPSIDE DOWN which will obviously have a very unique and probably spectacular visual appeal. With the budget of around $ 60 million and with Kirsten Dunst and Jim Sturgess in the lead roles, the story of this romantic sci fi movie takes place in two worlds that are literally on top each other, each city with their own gravity system.
Sadly, the citizens of each town can not visit the other, for unknown reasons. Jim Sturgess plays the main character Adam, a seemingly ordinary guy in a very extraordinary universe. He lives humbly trying to make ends meet, but his romantic spirit holds on to the memory of a girl he met once upon a time from another world, an inverted affluent world
with its own gravity, directly above but beyond reach... a girl named Eve (Kirsten Dunst). Their childhood flirtation becomes an impossible love. But when he catches a glimpse of grown up Eve on television, nothing will get in the way of getting her back. Not even the law or science! Like any good lovelorn hero, he's not going to let a little thing like gravity get in the way of his heart's desire.
Look up towards the sky and rub your eyes because you won't believe what you see: cities, forests, and oceans with their own inverted gravity, only an arm's length away, yet completely unreachable. Take a leap over to this alternate reality, two worlds - one above, one below facing each other, and you'll land in the extraordinary world of UPSIDE DOWN.
HOLLYWOOD SPY has been following this film since 2009 and I can't wait to finally see the first trailer. In the meantime enjoy the first pictures.
RPATS WANTS TO BE UR BEL AMI
The only trailer I have for you today is a new one for my ladies: a UK clip for period drama BEL AMI which should hit British cinemas next
March, but it still doesn't have a US release date. This adaptation of a Guy de Maupassant’s novel stars that guy some ladies love for unfathomable reasons, Robert Pattinson alongside some forgotten actresses such as Christina Ricci, Kristen Scott Thomas and Uma Thurman. The story follows a man's rise to power in Paris by manipulating the city's most influential and wealthy women. He travels through 1890s Paris, from cockroach ridden garrets to opulent salons, using his wits and powers of seduction to rise from poverty to wealth, from a prostitute’s embrace to passionate trysts with wealthy beauties. And all of this happens in a world where politics and media jostle for influence,
where sex is power and celebrity an obsession. But beware, the trailer features lots of really bad acting and frigid facial expressions from RPats, Thurman and even Scott Thomas. And in case you're interested the beautiful song in the very end of the trailer is "Nara" from E. S. Posthumus.
And have you noticed that HOLLYWOOD SPY has had it's 1,000,000th visitor last night? My dearest L.G. Smith took a print screen of the moment when the stat counter was at 999,999

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

NEW PICS FROM "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN"! GERARD DEPARDIEU & ISABELLE ADJANI IN STRAUSS KAHN FILM? TRAILER FOR "THE BABYMAKERS" WITH OLIVIA MUNN

New photos have been released today for one of the films which will try to rob box offices next summer: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN,
the reboot of the famous franchise, which I'm personally not interested in at all, but I know some of you like the saga, so enjoy the pics. Not much is known about the plot of the film except that it will focus on a teenage Peter Parker who is grappling with both contemporary human problems and amazing super human crises. In their effort to reboot the franchise, the producers have chosen a rather unappealing and non-charismatic Andrew Garfield to take over the role from Tobey Maguire, and he is joined by always cute and charming Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, Martin Sheen and Sally Field as Peter's aunt and uncle, while Rhys Ifans, who is under
the spotlights this year with his role in ANONYMOUS, is appearing in the role of Spider-Man's nemesis The Lizard. A huge number of actors and actresses have competed for the role of Peter and Gwen, before
Andrew and Emma got them, and these name include Lily Collins, Emily Browning, Hilary Duff, Taylor Lautner, Josh Hutcherson, Aaron Johnson, Zac Efron and Logan Lerman, while Michael Fassbender & Christoph Waltz were 1st considered for The Lizard role.
 HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES
One of the scandals which definitely marked this year was the one
around Dominique Strauss-Kahn, so it's no wonder that a film version of this sex story is already being planned. According to "Deadline" Gerard Depardieu might take the lead role alongside French beauty Isabelle Adjani. Although the original story involved a young hotel maid who, back in May, accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), of sexually assaulting her in a New York City hotel room, the film might be just inspired by that and focus more on addiction and politicians.

It is quite unusual to have a trailer released two years before the premiere of a film, but that's what just happened to THE BABYMAKERS comedy which is slated for release sometime in 2013.
Starring gorgeous Olivia Munn, the favourite of all the boys around the planet, and Paul Schneider (although I must admit I don't see him as an lead actor, and especially not as a partner to Olivia), this hilarious comedy will have a story revolving around a guy, who after failing to get his wife pregnant, recruits his pals to steal the deposit he left at a sperm bank years ago. Schneider will be seen beside Christian Bale in Chinese epic FLOWERS OF WAR this year, while Olivia is ready to star in MAGIC MIKE a magical film in which you will see a bunch of Hollywood's biggest hunks from Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Mathew McConaughey and Matt Bomer to Joe Manganiello and Adam Rodgriguez, playing male strippers.

PS HOLLYWOOD SPY will get its 1,000,000th visitor tonight, so if you're that person, do a print screen and send it to us as a souvenir :)

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

HOLLYWOOD SPY'S SPOTLIGHT ON TARSEM'S MAGICAL TALE "MIRROR MIRROR" WITH LILY COLLINS, ARMIE HAMMER, JULIA ROBERTS, SEAN BEAN & NATHAN LANE

Check out lovely new posters for family adventure MIRROR MIRROR which premieres next March. The film brings a spectacular reimagining of the classic fairy tale from the Grimm Brothers sticking to the original version in which the dwarves weren't miners but thieves. Starring Julia Roberts as the Queen, Lily Collins (The Blind Side) as Snow White, Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as Prince Alcott, Sean Bean (The Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings) as the King and Nathan Lane ( The Birdcage) as the Queen's hapless and bungling servant, Brighton, this spirited adventure comedy will be filled with jealousy, romance and betrayal that will capture the imagination of audiences the world over.
MIRROR MIRROR STORY
In the story of MIRROR MIRROR, super talented, visionary director and visual genious Tarsem Singh (the author of some of the most striking films in cinematic history - IMMORTALS, THE CELL, THE FALL) rewrites fairy tale history as a wicked enchantress (Roberts) schemes and scrambles for control of a spirited orphan’s (Collins) throne and the attention of a charming prince (Hammer). When Snow White’s beauty wins the heart of the prince that she desperately pursues, the Queen banishes her to the dark and dangerous forest, where a frigtening ravening man-eating beast hungrily awaits.
Rescued by a band of diminutive highway robbers, Snow White grows into an indomitable young woman determined to take back her realm from the treacherous Queen. With the support of her subjects, she roars into action in an epic battle that blends spectacle, magic and contemporary humor in Singh’s signature, jaw dropping visual style.
MIRROR MIRROR TIDBITS
The full name of the film is actually MIRROR MIRROR: THE UNTOLD ADVENTURES OF SNOW WHITE, but Relativity Media opted for the shorter title. It is interesting that Lily Collins (who is the daughter of music legend Phil Collins) has first auditioned
for the lead role in the rival project SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, but when she lost that one, Tarsem hired her, as he admitted, mesmerized by her snowy tan and her eyebrows. After this one she will lead another fantasy franchise MORTAL INSTRUMENTS.
Saoirse Ronan was actually the first choice for the role, but she didn't get the role when Armie Hammer was hired, because the age difference between them is too big. Before Armie got the role of the prince, other candidates were Alex Pettyfer and James McAvoy.
This is gazillionth film in which Sean Bean doesn't live but dies. This is Tarsem's first family friendly movie, since he is generally known for a darker or very complex approach to his film, even though THE FALL also had a young girl as the lead actress.
The dwarves in the film will have some quite crazy names: Chuckles, Wolf, Napoleon, Grub, Half-Pint, Grimm and Butcher. The music in the film will be composed by one of the most famous movie composers, Alan Menken who won 8 oscars for ALADDIN, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, POCAHONTAS, TANGLED, THE LITTLE MERMAID....
Imaginative, sparkly and divine costumes in the film, were made by Eiko Ishioka, Oscar winner, known for marvelous costumes in THE CELL, THE FALL, DRACULA, IMMORTALS...

Monday, December 26, 2011

TRAILERS FOR THE 2ND SEASONS OF EPIC SHOWS "THE BORGIAS" AND "SPARTACUS VENGEANCE"

With the beginning of the new year closing on us, we are also getting close to the premiere of the new seasons of the epic shows that we loved watching this year: THE BORGIAS and GAME OF THRONES return in April, while SPARTACUS VENGEANCE returns this January.
THE BORGIAS
Although the first season of THE BORGIAS historical show was at moments boring to the extent of being unwatchable, it did pick up the pace after the sixth episode and it actually became dynamic, intriguing and exciting, and the second season awaits us next April at Showtime and today you can check out the first trailer for the return of the original crime family. Judging from the trailer beside the members of the infamous Papal family, which includes Jeremy Irons as Pope Rodrigo Borgia, David Oakes and Francois Arnaud as his sons, Holliday Granger as his
daughter Lucrezia,  Colm Feore as his main enemy, and Luke Pasqualino as Lucrezia's love and the father of her child, the second season will also bring back most of the kings, politicians and clerics from the first one bringing with them new plots and scheming plans. Check out the dynamic trailer bellow.


SPARTACUS VENGEANCE
A brand new, third trailer for Starz' super popular show SPARTACUS VENGEANCE is here. As you remember from HOLLYWOOD SPY's spotlight on the second season, on the heels of the bloody escape from the House of Batiatus that concluded SPARTACUS
BLOOD AND SAND, the gladiator rebellion continues and begins to strike fear into the heart of the Roman Republic. Gaius Claudius Glaber (Craig Parker) and his Roman troops are sent to Capua to crush the growing band of freed slaves that Spartacus (Lyam McIntyre) leads before it can inflict further damage. Spartacus is presented the choice of satisfying his personal need for vengeance against the man that condemned his wife to slavery and eventual death or making the larger sacrifices necessary to keep his budding army from breaking apart. Containing all of the blood-soaked action, exotic sexuality, and villainy and heroism that has come to distinguish the series, the tale of Spartacus resumes in epic fashion. Judging from the trailer, it seems
Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) will have to swallow her pride and become friends with horrid Illythia (Viva Bianca) again, who left her locked in the ludus to be killed in the horrific bloodshed that ended the first season, in order to survive in Capua as a woman without a husband and in order to take her revenge on her and on Spartacus. The second season premieres January 27th!

Friday, December 23, 2011

NEW PICS FROM ANIMATED FILMS SCOTTISH EPIC "BRAVE", CRAZY "RISE OF THE GUARDIANS" AND TIM BURTON'S "FRANKENWEENIE"!

Well, in the spirit of Christmas, I think we shall have an animated film day today here at HOLYWOOD SPY :) "MovieWeb" has released first concept art from DreamWorks' new animated film RISE OF THE GUARDIANS for which we saw the first poster last week. The new pic reveals Santa, the Easter Bunny, The Sandman, and the Tooth Fairy
in their secret layer, on the eve of saving the world from an evil demon named Pitch. The story follows the Earth's greatest protectors, including Santa (Alec Baldwin), The Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), The Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), and the Sandman (a silent, monk-like character), who must protect the children of the world from an evil demon named Pitch (Jude Law).

BURTON'S FRANKENWEENIE
New photos have also been released for Tim Burton's crazy animated tale FRANKENWEENIE, which might not be in the spirit of Christmas, but it's Tim Burton after all :) This stop motion animation,
ready to premiere October 2012 brings a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life
... with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can
be monstrous. The film will be 3D but it is interesting that it will be totally in black and white.

A beautiful new photo has been released for Disney Pixars biggest animated project for next year, epic story BRAVE which should hit cinemas next June. As you already know, this stunningly gorgeous, beautifully coloured film follows a Scottish princess Merida, who is a skilled archer and impetuous girl, who, determined to carve her own
path in life, defies an age-old custom and inadvertently unleashes chaos and fury in the kingdom. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late. Directed by super talented Mark Andrews (RATATOUILLE, JOHN CARTER), the film features a lovely voice cast: Kevin McKidd, Julie Walters, Emma Thompson, Robbie Coltrane...

Thursday, December 22, 2011

"PROMETHEUS" TRAILER IS HERE WITH CHARLIZE THERON, PATRICK WILSON & MICHAEL FASSBENDER! HARRISON FORD, ABIGAIL BRESLIN & HAILEE STEINFELD IN "ENDER'S GAME"! DAVID YATES HELMS "YOUR VOICE IN MY HEAD"

Well, it seems all of the kid stars in Hollywood will appear in the movie adaptation of bestselling book ENDER'S GAME, one of the possible future sf franchises for young audience beside THE HUNGER GAMES and MORTAL INSTRUMENTS. After little Asa Butterfield (HUGO, BBC's MERLIN) got the lead role of a young computer game wizard who is recruited by the futuristic army to fight back some insect like invaders on Earth, two new young stars who have joined the cast of the sf movie are Abigal Breslin (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE), as Ender's sister, and
Hailee Steinfeld, as Ender's ally. According to "Variety" Harrison Ford has also been officially confirmed as the general who runs the facility in which these kids are trained for fighting back the alien attack. As "MovieWeb" reports, David Yates (HARRY PLOPPER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS) will helm an unusual psychological drama YOUR VOICE IN MY HEAD, a film adaptation of Emma Forrest's memoirs, which chronicles her suicidal tendencies and quest to become a better person by visiting a psychiatrist. She faces psychological breakdown after her therapist suddenly passes away.
PROMETHEUS EPIC TRAILER
And here it is, as promised the last big trailer for this week (although it's possible Hollywood might surprise us tomorrow with something
new too), the long awaited clip for Ridley Scott's sf thriller PROMETHEUS. The trailer itself is rather strange, it has some really bad music and features glimpses into a lot of dynamic scenes from the epic movie. It also has quite an irritating title slowly building in the middle of the screen while the trailer is going on. However, it does seem epic and huge.   Hitting cinemas next June, this highly anticipated movie features quite a strong cast including Patrick Wilson, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce and Idris Elba. When it comes to the story, this is a prequel to famous ALIEN, which follows a team of explorers who discover a clue to the origins of mankind on
Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race. As you probably remember from HOLLYWOOD SPY's reports throughout last two years, a lot of big stars and also the younger ones
were competing for the roles in the film, and some of the stars who were, at some point, in the run, include Angelina Jolie, James Franco, Gemma Arterton, Olivia Wilde, Anne Hathaway, Ben Foster and even Michelle Yeoh.
PS It seems Christmas holidays have brought you all in front of your computers since HOLLYWOOD SPY had amazing 4,500 visitors yesterday, I'm guessing you were excited to see THE HOBBIT trailer :) Today's number is also very high, with 3,000 visitors already registered. HOLLYWOOD SPY loves you, people :)