Here's a new project with a rather rich cast: as "Variety" reports today, Adam Shankman's comedy drama THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU, in which the story will follow a highly dysfunctional and non-religious family, who has to sit Shivah for seven days as a dying request from their father, has added a lot of new stars - Zac Efron, Leslie Mann (she's currently starring in GOOD CHRISTIAN BITCHES at ABC), Malin Akerman, Jason Bateman, Goldie Hawn, Jason Sudeikis ... The film is based on a novel by Jonathan Tropper. And according to "Deadline" Gillian Anderson has joined Victor Garber, Rufus Sewell, Haley Joel Osment in I'LL FOLLOW YOU DOWN. The story follows the wife of missing scientist Gabriel (Rufus Sewell), who disappeared during a business trip but years later the family finds out that their missing loved one might mysteriously still be alive. Haley Joel Osment will play the son and Victor Garber is the grandfather.
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After giving the world four visual masterpieces THE CELL, THE FALL, IMMORTALS and MIRROR MIRROR, it seems that we shall again see
Tarsem Singh's visual splendour in another epic. According to "Twitch" instead of doing a smaller film as he announced recently, Tarsem will do an oriental epic on MARCO POLO heading over to China. An American / Chinese co-production backed by Endgame Entertainment, Tarsem's next will be an English language period picture about the travels of Marco Polo to China. And while the actor who will play Polo himself has not yet been announced Screen International brings word that Gong Li (CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER) has been cast as the female lead. As I've reported earlier, Starz is also preparing a new TV show on MARCO POLO.
LES MISERABLES TRAILER
And here's something unexpected: the first rather spectacular trailer for Tom Hopper's (THE KING'S SPEECH) musical drama LES MISERABLES is here! Ready to battle with THE HOBBIT in cinemas
this December, the adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel follows prisoner Jean Valjean, who is released from prison and breaks parole to create a new life for himself while evading the grip of the persistent Inspector
Javert. Set in early 19th-century France, the story reaches resolution against the background of the July Revolution of 1832. One of the most starstudded casts ever includes Hugh Jackman as Valjean, Russell
Crowe as Javert, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried and Helena Bonham Carter in female roles, young star Eddie Redmayne (BIRDSONG, PILLARS OF THE EARTH)...
According to "Digital Spy" one of HOLLYWOOD SPY's fave TV hunks of all
times, Ryan McPartlin (CHUCK, LIVING WITH FRAN) will take one of the
lead roles in DAYBREAK, which is a spin-off of
popular TV show TOUCH
with Kiefer Sutherland. Loosely connected to its parent series, it will
also star Sarah Roemer (The Event) and Ryan Eggold (90210). DAYBREAK is
described as "a series of online films... about the
magic of technology and a global conspiracy to control an ancient and
powerful object called a dodecahedron".
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According to "MovieWeb" Relativity Media is developing two interesting new projects in cooperation with Luc Besson's EuropaCorp: MALAVITA, which follows the Manzonis, a mafia family that gets relocated to Normandy, France under a witness protection program with Robert de Niro in the lead role, and THREE DAYS TO KILL, which follows a Secret Service Agent who discovers he is dying and decides to retire in order to reconnect with his family. The Secret Service offers him access to an experimental drug that could save his life in
exchange for one last assignment. Meanwhile, "Deadline" reports that BBC has greenlit THE LADIES PARADISE, an eight episode series loosely based on an Emile Zola’s novel. Set in England’s first department store, the series tells the rags-to-riches story of Denise Lovett (Joanna Vanderham), a young girl who works in the store and gets caught up in the charms of the modern world. Denise is a 19th-century Working Girl – big-hearted, smarter than she’s taken to be and more ambitious than her pretty eyes suggest.
TAI CHI O TRAILER
Since it is a very slow week in the movie news department, my little freaks, the only new clip I have for you is a trailer for something that looks rather amusing and crazy: a clip for Chinese film TAI CHI O which mixes fantasy,
adventure, and steam punk which looks rather interesting in an Asian movie. The film by Stephen Fung, which will be released in USA in early 2013, follows an uncommonly gifted Yang Luchan who has a fleshy abnormality that holds tremendous power growing on his forehead. However, being teased as the town fool, Yang travels to the distant Chen Village to learn TAI CHI. At this legendary village everyone practices TAI CHI and uses TAI CHI in every aspect of their lives. Nevertheless, it is forbidden for a villager to disclose TAI CHI to an outsider, which Yang learns the hard way. Upon arriving at the village,
locals discourage Yang by challenging him with fights. From the strong men to old ladies to children, everyone defeats Yang with their TAI CHI moves. After facing the toughest battle and being defeated by Master Chen’s beautiful daughter Yuniang, Yang is determined to master the art of TAI CHI and goes in search of Master Chen. Little does Yang know,
the poor strange man who he befriended is in fact Master Chen who had saved him from the duel with Yuniang. Master Chen realizes Yang’s genius and disguises himself to secretly guide Yang to his self realization of TAI CHI.
One day, a frightening steam-powered machine comes to
the village, lead by Fang Zijing, a childhood friend of Yuniang. He has bribed government officials to permit him to build a railway that will run straight through the village. Yang decides to join forces with Yuniang to defeat Fang Zijing and destroy the machine. This brave act may just win him the hearts of the villagers… PS don't forget to click on the pics, to see all the wonderful detail on them.
So first I have two British pieces of news today: according to "Screen Daily" Colin Firth will take the lead role in MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN in which he will play famous Noel Coward during his eventful two week-stay at The Desert Inn in Las Vegas in 1955. On the other hand, always amazing Rupert Everett is planning to make his directorial début with THE HAPPY PRINCE, a biopic of the famous
Irish writer Oscar Wilde in which he will take the lead role, while the above mentioned Colin Firth will play his friend and confidant Reginald "Reggie" Turner. According to "The Hollywood Reporter" the film, which will also star Tom Wilkinson and Emily Watson, will look at Wilde’s final, tragic days as he looks back on the disasters of his life with characteristic dry wit and black humour.
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I've mentioned the shooting of CBGB film last week, which will follow the famous New York club from the last century which had a huge impact on the music scene. Beside Alan Rickman who will play the role of the club owner and Rupert Grint who will play Cheetah
Chrome, the guitarist for The Dead Boys, now the new cast members are Malin Akerman who will appear as Blondie singer Deborah Harry, and CASTLE's and Serbia's own Stana Katic who will play Genya Ravan, a producer who was the lead singer of pioneering 1960s rock band Goldie & the Gingerbreads, which many say was the first all-female band to have a recording contract.
Meanwhile, you can check out the first pic of Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth in Carlo Carlei's movie adaptation of ROMEO AND JULIET in which Damian Lewis plays lord Capulet, Stellan Skarsgard will play the ruler of Verona, while Paul Giamatti plays the friar. GOSSIP GIRL's Ed Westwick plays Romeo's friend Tybalt. The film is being written by DOWNTON ABBEY's Julian Fellows!
NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN
Your trailer for today is a charming clip for upcoming comedy drama NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN with ever so charming and always
enchanting Ryan Kwanten in the lead role of a young playboy who learns he has one month until he becomes infertile so he sets out to procreate as much as possible. But, as you will see from the trailer, the movie is much more serious than that. Beside the beloved TRUE BLOOD Australian hunk, the cast also includes Serbian cutie pie Bojana Novakovic who is building up her career in Hollywood and you will soon see her next to Keanu Reeves in GENERATION UM and before that you've seen her in BURNING MAN with Matthew Goode and as Mel Gibson's daughter in EDGE OF DARKNESS. The film is out this June in Australia.
ATTENTION!
I'm going back to work after my famous Borg surgery :), about which all the world tabloids wrote about, although none of them managed to get the steamy pictures of me getting naughty with my anaesthesiologist at the clinic :), which means that I will go back to posting stories a bit later in the day, closer to the times written in the right side bar! So you still get fresh news, but a bit later during the day!
If you like comedies, you might not want to miss SQUIRRELS TO THE NUTS which will see Brie Larson (21 JUMP STREET)
portraying a prostitute who lands a role on Broadway. Owen Wilson is playing the Broadway director who gives her her big break while gorgeous Olivia Wilde will play a therapist trying to deal with her mother's alcohol problem.The film is being directed by famous Peter Bogdanovich. But, if like your HOLLYWOOD SPY, you prefer a good sf movie set in space, Warner Bros. has announced their work on THE WIND. The story is kept under wraps but it is known that it will be set in a colony somewhere in space. The film is being produced by MEN IN BLACK producers and will be directed by Nic Mathieu according to "The Hollywood Reporter".
I HEART SHAKY TRAILER
And here's a warm trailer for you on a hectic Monday: hitting cinemas this June is I HEART SHAKEY, which follows the journey of
a single father J.T, his nine-year-old daughter, Chandler and their devoted dog, Shakey. After landing his dream job in Chicago, J.T. has to make the hardest decision of his life by moving his family of three to the big city from their small town. Shortly after they settle into their new luxurious home, they realize they have missed the fine print in the rental contract stating "no pets." Devastated by the possible loss of her beloved pet, Chandler hatches a plan to keep Shakey and teach her dad a valuable lesson about loyalty and the importance of keeping a family together. The cast includes two faces from the 80's Steve Guttenberg and Beverly D'Angelo.
I bet you will agree with me that the best comedies usually come from the British isles. They have horrid food, bad weather, but they sure do know how to use humour on film. Here are three of the upcoming comedy films from Ireland and Britain.
WHOLE LOTTA SOLE
We haven't seen always charming Brendan Fraser much lately, but here he is in WHOLE LOTTA SOLE, which was recently shown at Tribeca Film Festival. The story of the hilarious comedy revolves around a botched fish market
robbery that leads to the involvement of the local police and a gangster out for revenge. In a misguided attempt to protect his family and pay back gambling debts to the local Mobster, Jimbo (Martin McCan) robs a fish market, which is coincidentally owned by the same Mobster (David O'Hara). On the run, Jimbo is cornered in a local curio shop, where he takes hostage an assortment of colourful characters, including Maguire (Brendan Fraser), who may be his illegitimate father. Surrounded by the Police, the SAS, and the Mobster's crew, the young man must find a way out of his precarious predicament with the help of his oddball captives. The cast also includes Colm Meaney and the director is Academy Award Winner Terry George (IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, HOTEL RWANDA).
THE RUNWAY
Also shown at this year's Tribeca Film Festival was another Irish comedy set in Ireland THE RUNWAY. The hilarious and touching movieis inspired by the true story of a South American pilot who landed his plane near Mallow, in 1983. Against all odds, the people of the town came together to build a runway to get him home and briefly caught the imagination of the nation. It is the story of Paco, a young boy without a father who adopts the pilot and convinces the town to build a runway to get him home.The cast includes James Cosmo, Kerry Condon
and Demian Bichir. The film was both written and directed by Irish filmmaker Ian Powers.
THE ANGELS' SHARE
And there's also British comedy THE ANGELS' SHARE which has been shown at this year's Cannes film festival and is directed by famous Ken Loach.
This bitter sweet comedy follows protagonist Robbie as he sneaks into the maternity hospital to visit his young girlfriend Leonie and hold his newborn son Luke for the first time. Overwhelmed by the moment, he swears that Luke will not have the same tragic life he has had. Escaping a prison sentence by the skin of his teeth, he's given one last chance......While serving a community service order, he meets Rhino, Albert and Mo who, like him, find it impossible to find work because of their criminal records. Little did Robbie imagine how turning to drink might change their lives - not
cheap fortified wine, but the best malt whiskies in the world. Will it be 'slopping out' for the next twenty years, or a new future with 'Uisge Beatha' the 'Water of Life?' Only the angels know........
The films hits Irish cinemas this June.
It was a big piece of news yesterday, so you've probably heard by now that Gary Oldman has joined the remake of ROBOCOP in which Joel Kinnaman
(THE KILLING) will play a Detroit cop who is shot and left for dead on the street. After being turned into a half-man half-robot crime-fighting machine known as RoboCop, he goes on a mission to clean up the Motor City's mean streets. Gary Oldman will play Norton, the scientist who created the title character, who is torn between the morality of this machine trying to reclaim its humanity, and the needs of the corporation he works for. The film is supposed to be shot in Canada.
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Speaking of sf movie adaptations, Josh Trank, who had quite a success recently with his sf hit CHRONICLE,
will, according to "Deadline", helm the movie adaptation of SHADOW OF THE
COLOSSUS video game. The story centers on Wander, a desperate man who
enters a forbidden land, with the hope that a mystical demon can bring
his lover back from the dead. The demon charges Wander with defeating 16
stone giants dubbed "colossi", before he can be reunited with his true
love. It is interesting that Trank is also one of the possible
candidates to direct the reboot of FANTASTIC FOUR. It has also been revealed today that Mads Mikkelsen (THE THREE MUSKETEERS) has joined THOR 2 in which he will play an unspecified villain next to Chris Hemsworth as the Blond god himself. Scheduled for November 2013 the film will be helmed by Alan Taylor (GAME OF THRONES).
And to finish the day in a sf tone, Guillermo del Toro's plot for his new sf action PACIFIC RIM has been revealed: When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on
end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenceless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes-a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi), who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse. Idris Elba and Ron Perlman are also in the cast of the July 2013 film.
VOTE 4 SERBIA EUROSONG2012
And if you're living in Europe, my little freaks, don't forget to vote for Serbia this Saturday evening at the Eurosong 2012 finals in Azerbaian! More than 40 countries will compete with their musical representatives, and Serbia is there with Zeljko Joksimovic and his powerful ballad LOVE IS NOT A THING TO BE GIVEN BACK.
Zeljko has already won a second place once with LANE MOJE, a song that has become the most beloved Eurovision song of all times, he also wrote another otherwordly ballad ORO which represented Serbia in 2008, and he wrote one of the most enchanting lyrical ballads ever LEYLA which represented Bosnia at Eurosong. This year, Serbia again has a deeply emotional, breathtaking elven ballad competing against dance songs and instant pop hits. Vote for us if you can and let the quality win again! Serbia is still holding a record for being the only country ever to win Eurosong the very first year we appeared there: symphonic ballad MOLITVA brought us victory in 2007!
MovieWeb writes that Sony has bought US rights for a film titled NO which got great praise this year at Cannes. The film is based on a true
story: when Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, facing international pressure, calls for a referendum on his presidency in 1988, opposition leaders persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Gael García Bernal), to spearhead their campaign. With scant resources and constant scrutiny by the president's watchmen, Saavedra and his team devise an audacious plan to win the election and free their country from oppression. Meanwhile, Ethan Hawke will star in PRE- DESTINATION Sony's sf action which follows the life of a time travelling government agent sent on a series of time travel journeys designed to stop future killers.
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Young Hailee Steinfeld, whom you've seen in TRUE GRIT and who is shooting ROMEO AND JULIET currently, will also star in WHY WE BROKE UP. "Deadline"
reports that she will play a high school sophomore who falls for a senior and captain of the basketball team, and gets caught up in their roller coaster romance. The story unfolds a few weeks after their break-up, when she drops off a letter and a box of mementos on his porch. Another young face, Rupert Grint from HARRY PLOPPER, will star in two new films: he will join Shia LaBeouf in THE NECESSARY DEATH OF CHARLIE COUNTRYMAN where Shia plays the title character who falls for absolutely irresistible girl who's already been claimed by an insanely violent crime boss with a gang of thugs at his disposal. He will also star in CBGB a film about the famous New York club and its impact on the underground music scene. Allan Rickman will play the owner of the club.
CHICAGO FIRE TRAILER
And here's some action for my boys and some hunk meat for my girls :) - the first trailer for NBC's new Fall show CHICAGO FIRE. The new series from the creators of LAW AND ORDER, to start airing this
Autumn, is described as an action-driven drama exploring the complex and heroic men and women of the Chicago Fire Department. The cast will be filled with stunning faces, lead by two gorgeous hunks - top
model Taylor Kinney (alaso known as Lady Gaga's ex boyfriend whom she dumped before starting her new world tour) and HOUSE's beloved doctor Jesse Spencer!
Check out the trailer for new CBS show ELEMENTARY which should start airing this Fall starring Jonny Lee Miller as detective Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson in a modern-day drama about a crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD's most impossible
cases. Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric Sherlock escapes to Manhattan where his wealthy father forces him to live with his worst nightmare - a sober companion, Dr. Watson. A successful surgeon until she lost a patient and her license three years ago, Watson views her current job as another opportunity to help people, as well as paying a penance. However, the restless Sherlock is nothing like her previous clients. He informs her that none of her expertise as an addiction specialist applies to him and he's devised his own post-rehab regimen - resuming his work as a police consultant in New York City. Watson has no choice but to accompany her irascible new charge on his jobs. But Sherlock finds her medical background helpful, and Watson realizes she has a knack for playing investigator. Sherlock's police contact, Capt. Gregson (Aidan Quinn), knows from previous experience working with Scotland Yard that Sherlock is brilliant at closing cases, and welcomes him as part of the team. With the mischievous Sherlock Holmes now running free in New York solving crimes, it's simple deduction that he's going to need someone to keep him grounded, and it's elementary that it's a job for Watson.
HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES
Here's something adventurous: according to "MovieWeb" Alex Proyas (THE CROW, I, ROBOT and the unfortunately cancelled epic PARADISE LOST) will helm GOD OF EGYPT, which, set amongst the pyramids and sphinxes, tells the story of a common thief and a god on a magical quest. Bad news come from Disney: they have stopped production on THE ORDER OF THE SEVEN with Saoirse Ronan, which was supposed to be third Snow White inspired film this year. Due to bad and weak marketing of gloriously great sf epic JOHN CARTER earlier this year which lead to the film underperfoming in USA, Disney is not so eager to do huge epics, so this one will have to wait for better times. The story was supposed to centre on a woman in 19th Century Hong Kong, who flees from her wicked stepmother and finds solace with seven brave warriors. The men belong to a clan known for fighting dragons and demons.
ZERO HOUR TRAILER
The second new show for today is ABC's action adventure ZERO HOUR, which will have beloved ER star Anthony Edwards playing Hank Foley who
is no stranger to adventure. But this one is a little more than he bargained for. As the publisher of Modern Skeptic magazine, Hank has spent his career following clues, debunking myths and solving conspiracies. A confessed paranormal junkie, his motto is “logic is the compass.” But when his beautiful young wife (Jacinda Barrett) is abducted from her store, an antique clock shop, Hank gets pulled into one of the most compelling mysteries of human history, stretching around the world and back centuries. Contained in one of his wife’s clocks is a treasure map, and what it leads to could be cataclysmic. Now it’s up to Hank to decipher the symbols and unlock the secrets of the map,while ensuring
the answers don’t fall into the wrong hands. With his two young associates Rachel (Addison Timlin) and Arron (Scott Michael Foster) in tow, along with Beck a sexy FBI agent (Carmen Ejogo), Hank will lead them on a breathless race against the clock, to find his wife and save humanity.
Variety says that James McAvoy has joined an unusual double project which will have two films: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF
ELEANOR RIGBY:
HIM and THE DISAPPEAR- ANCE OF ELEANOR RIGBY: HER. Following a married
couple from New York, who deal with a emotional, life-altering
experience., the story will be explored in both movies, one from the
perspective of the restaurant owner husband (James McAvoy), and the second following the wife (Jessica Chastain), who goes back to college. Now, here's a duo made in heaven: according to "Deadline" two of the most beloved female comedians Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy will take the lead roles in an untitled comedy
to be helmed by BRIDESMAIDS' Paul Feig. Not much is known about the project currently, except that it will centre on the unconventional partnership between a straight-laced FBI agent (Bullock) and an eccentric Boston cop (McCarthy).
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It seems that Jude Law is going back to his British roots, since he will
take the lead role in black comedy DOM HEMINGWAY, in which he will
play Dom Hemingway, a safe cracker with a loose fuse who after
12 years
in prison travels with his best friend (played by Richard E. Grant) to
collect what he’s owed for not ratting on crime bosses. Meanwhile, "MovieWeb" reports that MASTER AND COM- MANDER and THE TRUMAN SHOW director Peter Weir will direct THE KEEP, a movie adaptation of a best-selling novel by Jennifer Egan set in a mysterious medieval castle somewhere in Central Europe. It follows two estranged American cousins who reunite to set up an alternative resort, stirring childhood traumas and phobias in a haunted castle.
666 PARK AVENUE
And continuing our series of new 2012/2013 shows trailers, here's the clip for ABC's new horror drama 666 PARK AVENUE. At the ominous address of
666 Park Avenue, anything you desire can be yours. Everyone has needs, desires and ambition. For the residents of The Drake, these will all be met, courtesy of the building's mysterious owner, Gavin Doran (Terry O'Quinn). But every Faustian contract comes with a price. When Jane Van Veen (Rachael Taylor) and Henry Martin (Dave Annable), an idealistic young couple from the Midwest, are offered the opportunity to manage the historic building, they not only fall prey to the machinations of Doran and his mysterious wife, Olivia (Vanessa Williams), but unwittingly begin to experience the shadowy, supernatural forces within the building that imprison and endanger the lives of the residents
inside. Sexy, seductive and inviting, The Drake maintains a dark hold over all of its residents, tempting them through their ambitions and desires, in this chilling new drama that's home to an epic struggle of good versus evil. Always gorgeous Robert Buckley (ONE TREE HILL, LIPSTICK JUNGLE) is also in the cast!
Now since even my own private films from the 90's might get their remake in Hollywood :)) it's no surprise that the legendary sf saga
HIGHLANDER will get a reboot too. Well, if TOTAL RECALL, JUDGE DREDD and ROBOCOP are getting new versions, why not this one as well? We already know that the reboot is in the hands of director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo from 28 WEEKS LATER, but the latest update is that Ryan Reynolds is the prime candidate for the lead role currently. If you remember, the fantasy adventure follows Connor MacLeod, an immortal Scottish swordsman who must sever the head of a brutal barbarian in order to become the last of his kind. He was originally played by Christopher Lambert and then by Adrian Paul in a TV show. Ryan Reynolds is rather busy these days, since he has to play a superhero in DEADPOOL, then another superhero in GREEN LANTERN 2, then a detective fighting against the undead in R.I.P.D. and he is also landing his voice in next year's animated epic THE CROODS.
HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES
Here's another interesting period project: according to "ScreenDaily" gorgeous actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw from TOUCH TV show will take the lead role in BELLE playing a mixed-race woman raised as an aristocratic lady in 18th century England. Belle’s cousin will be played
by "Cosmopolis" star Sarah Gadon, while rising star Sam Claflin (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, PILLARS OF THE EARTH, SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN) will play the love interest. But that's not all since the rest of the cast is equally amazing: Tom Wilkinson, Emily Watson, Miranda Richardson and Mathew Goode are also on board in supporting roles.
SKYFALL TRAILER
And here's something special for you today when it comes to trailers: the first clip for new James Bond film titled SKYFALL! Ready to premiere this November in
cinemas around the world, the movie will see Bond’s loyalty to M being tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. Playing James Blond again, Daniel Craig will have to square off with the villainous Silva (played by Javier Bardem), and the cast also includes Ralph Fiennes (it is rumoured that he might replace Judi Dench as the main boss in the later sequels), Ben Whishaw (who will play the new and very young Q who supplies Bond with all his gadgets). At estimated shocking $200 million in the budget, the film was directed by Sam Mendes.
You know how much HOLLYWOOD SPY adores the extremely talented Australian thespian and the best living actress Cate Blanchett and now it seems she finally has a
new project: "Screen Daily" reports that Blanchett and Mia Wasikowska
will take the lead roles in CAROL, which will be a movie adaptation of
Patricia Highsmith's bestseller THE PRICE OF SALT. To start shooting
next February in London, the story of the movie follows the burgeoning
relationship between two very different women in 1950s New York. One, a
girl in her twenties works in a department store and dreams of a more
fulfilling life, and the other is a wife trapped in a loveless, moneyed
marriage. The heartbreaking story will be directed by John Crowley (IS
ANYBODY THERE).
HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES
Here's another upcoming epic project: currently shooting in London
and in Wales, we have HAMMER OF THE GODS. Vertigo Films production is
set Set in Viking Britain in 871 AD, and according
to "The Screen Daily"
the story of the film is described as “a visceral, intense tale set in a
world whose only language is violence”. The film will follow a young
Viking warrior, Steinar (played by TWILIGHT's blond hunk Charlie
Bewley), sent by his father the King on a quest to find his estranged
brother. Stylish and barbaric film will also have Ivan Kaye ("Dark
Shadows") and James Cosmo ("Braveheart", "Game Of Thrones") in the cast.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
And here's a trailer for CW's Fall series BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Detective Catherine Chandler is a smart, no-nonsense homicide detective. Several years earlier, Catherine witnessed the murder of her
mother at the hands of two gunmen. Catherine would have been killed too, but someone - or something - saved her. No one has ever believed her, but she knows it wasn't an animal that attacked the assassins...it was human. Years have passed, and Catherine is a strong, confident, capable police officer. While investigating a murder, Catherine discovers a clue that leads her to a handsome doctor named Vincent Keller, who was reportedly killed by enemy fire while serving in Afghanistan in 2002. Catherine learns that Vincent is actually still alive and that it was he who saved her many years before. For mysterious reasons that have forced
him to live outside of traditional society, Vincent has been in hiding for the past 10 years to guard his secret - when he is enraged, he becomes a terrifying beast, unable to control his super-strength and heightened senses. Catherine agrees to protect his identity in return for any insight he may have into her mother's murder. Thus begins a complex relationship between Catherine and Vincent, who are powerfully drawn to each other yet understand that their connection is extremely dangerous for both of them. The series stars Kristin Kreuk (Smallville) as Catherine, Jay Ryan (Terra Nova) as Vincent, Max Brown (The Tudors) as Evan.
You probably know by now that this year will be the year of amazingly cute animated films. With magic from HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON,
TANGLED and OWLS OF GA HOOLE, animated movies have become the best things in the cinematic offer, and this year we have five very promising animated films: BRAVE, HOTEL TRAN- SYLVANIA, PIRATES: THE BAND OF MISFITS, ICE AGE 4 and RISE OF THE GUARDIANS. The last one is DreamWorks' epic adventure set to premiere in cinemas November 21st giving some of the most beloved fairy tale characters a new spin. Click on the pictures to read characters' profiles.
GUARDIANS STORY
When an evil spirit called Pitch becomes bent upon taking over the world by inspiring fear in the hearts of kids everywhere, a group of our greatest heroes - Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the
Sandman and Jack Frost - band together for the first time, determined to stand in Pitch's way. More than a collection of storybook subjects, The Guardians are also a band of superheroes, who possess their own magic
powers. Now joined in opposition of a common foe, the Guardians heed the call and combine their powers to defeat Pitch and protect the world from his campaign of fear!
GUARDIANS CAST
It's quite possible that RISE OF THE GUARDIANS has the most amazing voice cast ever seen in an animated movie: Chris Pine plays Jack Frost, a supernatural being with weather control powers, Alec
Baldwin gives voice to North, an unusual version of Santa Clause who is here actually a warrior with a heart of gold, Hugh Jackman is Bunnymund a longeared protector of nature, Isla Fisher is playing
Tooth an iridescent fairy and the leader of a fleet of fairies which collect kids' teeth all around the world safeguarding their sweetest memories too, Jude Law is Pitch the boogeyman that hides under your bed and makes you afraid of the dark. With his army of nightmares he is the biggest enemy to the Guardians.
GUARDIAN TIDBITS
Four times Academy Award Nominee Alexandre Desplat (THE KING'S SPEECH, JULIE AND JULIA, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON) is composing the music for the film. The film is
directed by Peter Ramsey from MONSTERS VS ALIENS.The movie is based on a book by William Joyce. Dwayne Johnson, Ian McShane and Hugh Laurie were all in the run for one of the roles during the production process.
Tarsem Singh's visual splendour in another epic. According to "Twitch" instead of doing a smaller film as he announced recently, Tarsem will do an oriental epic on MARCO POLO heading over to China. An American / Chinese co-production backed by Endgame Entertainment, Tarsem's next will be an English language period picture about the travels of Marco Polo to China. And while the actor who will play Polo himself has not yet been announced Screen International brings word that Gong Li (CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER) has been cast as the female lead. As I've reported earlier, Starz is also preparing a new TV show on MARCO POLO. 
