HOLLYWOOD SPY EXCLUSIVE SPOTLIGHT ON ANG LEE'S STUNNING ADVENTURE EPIC "LIFE OF PI" BASED ON YANN MARTEL'S WORLDWIDE BESTSELLING BOOK

Today's Sunday spotlight at HOLLYWOOD SPY is dedicated to something that truly looks deeply enchanting and profoundly enlightening, the

 new epic drama LIFE OF PI directed by famous director Ang Lee who's given the world some of the visually (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON) or emotionally (BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN) most striking films in history. Although the official cinematic release of the film is scheduled for November 21st, the film was chosen to open the 50th Annual New York Film Festival on September 28 which makes it Lee's second movie to screen at the festival after CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON served as the Closing Night Gala presentation twelve years ago. Below you also have a lovely new international trailer with an amazing usage of a Coldplay's song!

LIFE OF PI STORY

 Based on the book by Yann Martel, that has sold more than seven million copies and spent years on the world's bestseller list, Academy Award winner Lee’s LIFE OF PI takes place over three continents, two oceans, many years, and a wide world of imagination. Lee’s vision, coupled with game-changing technological breakthroughs and director's mastery of intimate psychological drama as well as epic action-adventure, has turned a story long thought un-filmable into a totally original cinematic event and the first truly international all-audience motion picture. The enchanting story of LIFE OF PI follows a young man who survives a disaster at sea and is hurtled into an epic journey of

adventure and discovery. While marooned on a lifeboat, he forms an amazing and unexpected connection with the ship's only other survivor… a fearsome Bengal tiger. The full story presents a magical adventure story centring on Pi Patel, the precocious son of a zoo keeper. Dwellers in Pondicherry, India, the family decides to move to Canada,

hitching a ride on a huge freighter. After a shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean on a 26-foot lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, all fighting for survival.

LIFE OF PI TIDBITS

The Twentieth Century Fox release is due in theatres on November 21, 2012 with the cast that includes newcomer Suraj Sharma in the lead role of young Pi Patel, Gérard Depardieu as The Frenchman,

Irrfan Khan as the older version of Pi, Rafe Spall as The Writer, Tabu as Pi's mother, Adil Hussain as Pi's father, and Ayush Tandon as Pi in his childhood. The role of the writer who tells the story turned out to be the most problematic during the production: Spiderman's

Andrew Garfield was first considered for the role, but it was then given to the original Spiderman Tobey Maguire. Maguire did shoot his scenes, but was later replaced by less known Rafe Spall because the director thought that Maguire was too famous for such a small role and it would have been distracting and Lee also wanted to have an entirely

international cast. A number of directors with profound and deeply lyrical directorial sensibility have been attached to the project before Ang Lee got the job and list includes M. Night Shyamalan, Alfonso Cuarón and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. 17 year old newcomer Suraj 

Sharma was chosen in the audition among 3,000 other boys. The film was originally supposed to premiere in December but then it was shifted a month in advance to avoid being buried in the cinematic graveyard for films which THE HOBBIT saga will create when it opens in December this year.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE TAKES "THE LAST DROP"! CHARMING "THE CROODS" POSTER! "GUILT TRIP" TRAILER WITH BARBRA STREISAND, SETH ROGEN, YVONNE STRAHOVSKI

Ever since he decided to put his music career on hold for indefinite time period, pop heartthrob Justin Timberlake  has been proving

 his talent in acting business. His new gig is rather interesting: according to "Variety" Justin might take the lead in a Black List film THE LAST DROP which will follow an alcoholic restaurant critic for New York Magazine. The foodie realizes he must change his addictive behaviour when he falls for a young woman. Justin's previous romcom FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS earned double its budget last year and we shall also see him next year in RUNNER RUNNER next to Ben Affleck and Gemma Arterton in the story about a businessman who is caught up in the world of offshore online gaming.

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

I've recently spotlighted a delightful new animated film THE CROODS which hits cinemas March next year, and today you can see a brilliant new poster for the film. If you click on the poster you can study all the

prehistoric beasts hidden on both sides of the jungle: Surviving in a volcanic world is tough enough, but caveman Grug (Nicolas Cage) gets a rude awakening when an earthquake forces him to leave behind the only world he knows. With his family in tow, he ventures out into the volatile world in search of a new home. The situation becomes even more complicated when Grug's family - but in particular his eldest daughter (Emma Stone) - become smitten with a nomad (Ryan Reynolds) they encounter on their dangerous journey. This quirky, imaginative stranger's search for 'tomorrow' is at odds with Grug's reliance on the traditions of yesterday!

GUILT TRIP CLIP

Since weekends should be fun time, here is a comedy trailer for you. Or not a trailer but a funny clip from the upcoming comedy

GUILT TRIP which opens up in cinemas December 25th this year. The cast is lead by an interestingly hilarious duo Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen. Rogen plays an inventor who hits the road together with his mom and goes on a cross country trip with her so he can sell his latest invention and also so that he could reunite her with her old lost love. The cast also includes Yvonne Strahovski, Adam Scott, Colin Hanks, Kathy Najimy and other famous comedians. The movie is directed by Anne Fletcher who helmed some other charming movies such as 27 DRESSES, STEP UP and THE PROPOSAL. It is also interesting that this is Barbra's first leading role in more than 15 years. PS a certain zombie character threatened me with zombie invasion if I didn't post a naughty picture of Yvonne Strahovski today even though she's not even seen in the clip :) 

"MOCKINBIRD LANE" SHOW WITH JERRY O'CONNELL, PORTIA DE ROSSI, CHEYENNE JACKSON! 1ST LOOK OF THE GOBLIN KING FROM "THE HOBBIT"! "STOKER" TRAILER WITH NICOLE KIDMAN, MATTHEW GOODE, LUCAS TILL!

One of the delightful new shows coming to NBC next year is MOCKINBIRD LANE which is actually a television remake of classic show THE MUNSTERS from the 1960's. The updated remake will

again follow the adventures of the Munster family of charming monsters: Grandpa Sam Dracula is essentially Dracula who assembled Herman because no man was good enough for his daughter Lily, a sexy vamp. Lily's niece Marilyn the freak is actually normal and Lily and Herman's only child, Eddie, has his werewolf tendencies surface in puberty, forcing the family to relocate to their famous 1313 Mockingbird Lane address. The cast in the remake is lead by always charming Jerry O'Connell from SLIDERS, who now plays the patriarch of the Munster family - Herman, the Frankenstein. Stepping into the role of Herman's vampire wife Lily (who was originally portrayed by Yvonne De Carlo) is gorgeous Portia de Rossi. British star Eddie Izzard plays grandpa, an ancient vampire, Lily's father. Little Mason Cook will play Lily's and Herman's only son

Eddie, who is a werewolf. Rumour has it that in the new version, Eddie will, listen to this, be a vegetarian werewolf who refuses to eat meat :) The cast also includes British actress Charity Wakefield as Marilyn, TV hunk Cheyenne Jackson as Scout Master Steve, a widower and leader of Eddie's scout troop who becomes smitten with Lily. Beth 

Grant will play Maryanne, the paraplegic, busybody neighbor who takes a very keen interest in the strange new family next door. The pilot is being developed by "Pushing Daisies" creator Bryan Fuller. The show will have spectacular visuals, but the make-up and costumes will be toned down in comparison to the original series.

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

Yesterday you saw the first picture of Evangeline Lily as Elven archer Tauriel and today there's another character from THE HOBBIT saga revealed in a toy line which follows the epic movie. It's the first look of The Goblin King who will be done through motion capture in the film and will be given its voice by famous  British comedian Barry Humphries also known as Dame Edna. There's also a brand new poster for THE HOBBIT a very delightful one featuring all the Dwarves in one place from Richard Armitage's Thorin to Aidan Turner's Kili! PS I've added a trailer for the IDENTITY THIEF to the yesterday post which featured the posters for the comedy.

STOKER TRAILER

Freshly released clip for today is the first trailer for Wentworth Miller written story STOKER which, as you will see in the trailer, has amazing visual style and a very weird story: After India's father dies

 in an auto accident, her Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode), who she never knew existed, comes to live with her and her emotionally unstable mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman). Soon after his arrival, she comes to

suspect this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives, but instead of feeling outrage or horror, this friendless girl becomes increasingly infatuated with him. The cast of the film, which will hit cinemas next March, also includes Lucas Till and Dermot Mulroney.

1ST ELVEN PIC OF LILY EVANGELINE AS TAURIEL IN "THE HOBBIT"! "IDENTITY THIEF" POSTERS WITH MELISSA MCCARTHY & JASON BATEMAN! DWAYNE JOHNSON TAMING MYTHICAL BEASTS IN "LORE"

The posters of the day are two pieces that Universal Pictures has released today for their hilarious comedy IDENTITY THIEF which is being helmed by Seth Gordon, the director of last year's successful comedy HORRIBLE BOSSES. As you can see the film has Jason Bateman and delightful Melissa McCarthy in the lead roles of a businessman and a woman who stole his identity. Unlimited funds have allowed Diana (Melissa McCarthy) to live it up on the outskirts of Miami, where the queen of retail buys whatever strikes her fancy. There's only one glitch: The ID she's using to finance these sprees reads "Sandy Bigelow

  Patterson" ... and it belongs to an accounts rep (Jason Bateman ) who lives halfway across the U.S. With only one week to hunt down the con artist before his world implodes, the real Sandy Bigelow Patterson heads south to confront the woman with an all-access pass to his life. And as he attempts to bribe, coax and wrangle her the 2,000 miles to Denver, one easy target will discover just how tough it is to get your name back. The cast of the hilarious comedy which is ready to hit cinemas February 2013 also includes John Cho, Amanda Peet and Jon Favreau.

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

Now, this is certainly a scorching hot piece of news: after we've seen the first mindblowing look of Lee Pace as Elven king Thranduil in THE HOBBIT saga, now a box for the toy line connected with the film has revealed the sneaky peek into Lily Evangeline's Elven archer Tauriel. The character has been put into the story since the book doesn't have enough female heroes.

  Deadline reports today that Barry Sonnenfeld will helm LORE which already has Dwayne Johnson in the lead role. The movie

adaptation of a fantasy graphic novel is set in a world where a secret society of Shepherds guard against mythical creatures told in folklore that actually exist. When the chain of command is broken, a young hero must do whatever it takes to stop these beasts! And after yesterday's rumours that Steven Spielberg wants Anne Hathaway and Chris Hemsworth in his sf epic ROBOPOCALYPSE, a new addition to the cast might be Ben Whishaw who might play a powerful computer hacker in the film.

PRICE CHECK TRAILER

Continuing the week of indie films trailers, I have for you today a trailer for comedy drama PRICE CHECK which actually has a rather inspiring story: always delightful Eric Mabius (UGLY BETTY) plays  Pete Cozy who is having trouble resolving a happy marriage and family life with rising debt and a job he hates. When his new boss, Susan (Parker Posey), a human dynamo, shows up, Pete is pulled into the maelstrom that is her life and made to work harder than he ever has before. Suddenly, money and opportunities come his way, but at what price? The film, which also has

 Cheyenne Jackson in the cast, premiered at Sundance Festival and will hit cinemas sometime later this year.

CHRIS HEMSWORTH & ANNE HATHAWAY IN SPIELBERG'S "ROBOPOCALYPSE"? TOM HARDY IN "EVEREST"! "VAMPS" TRAILER WITH ALICIA SILVERSTONE, DAN STEVENS, SIGOURNEY WEAVER, MALCOLM MCDOWELL, KRISTEN JOHNSTON

You will see her later this year acting and singing with her head shaved in LES MISERABLES, but Anne Hathaway has another possible project in plan according to "Deadline". It appears that she and Chris The Thor Hemsworth are in talks to take the lead roles in Steven Spielberg's movie adaptation of ROBOPO- CALYPSE book by Daniel H. Wilson which was sold for adaptation almost two years before it hit bookshelves. The story revolves around the struggles of mankind to survive after a worldwide robot uprising. The epic movie is scheduled to appear in cinemas in April 2014, while the shooting should start next year.

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

Some time ago, I've informed you about EVEREST project which

 will deal with explorer George Mallory who was the first man to reach the top of Mount Everest. The story also deals with his obsession with the mountain, and his rivalry with fellow climber George Finch. Mallory and his climbing partner Sandy Irvine failed in two previous attempts in 1921 and 1922. They were spotted near the summit on their third attempt in 1924 before they disappeared. Their remains were discovered in 1999. Now "Deadline" reports that Tom Hardy is in talks to play the lead role in this film to be directed by Doug Liman.

VAMPS TRAILER

Yet another uber weird trailer to be released this week is for strange comedy VAMPS which hits cinemas later this year and has Alicia

 Silverston and Krysten Ritter playing two girls who, as upstanding, politically correct Extended Life Forms (ELFs), fit twelve-step Sanguines Anonymous meetings to help curb the temptation of human blood in between their clubbing and dating schedules. When love steals into each of their lives, the pair’s destiny is set on a new course and they must make a choice that will jeopardize their immortality, and maybe much more. If you didn't get that, they are a pair of party loving vampires who still have mortal love problems. This strange story has a rather stellar cast also including Kristen Johnston, Malcolm McDowell, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Stevens, Justin Kirk.

HOLLYWOOD SPY FASHION REPORT FROM EMMY 2012 RED CARPET! THE BEST AND THE WORST DRESSED! NEW "THE HOBBIT" & "RISE OF THE GUARDIANS" POSTERS! 1ST PIC OF HUGH JACKMAN AS "WOLVERINE"

So, have you watched Emmy 2012 Awards this Sunday? I know, it was the same old boring event with the same winners every year, but at least the red carpet was more colourful than ever. Here's HOLLYWOOD SPY's fashion report.

THE YES YES

Tell me, who were your best dressed celebrities this year? I loved Nancy O'Dell in her breathtaking red gown with the golden bow across her shoulder, Ginnifer Goodwin also looked marvellous in her

delightful orange dress with amazingly matching shoes, while Jane Krakowski and Morena Baccarin looked refined and still sexy in their sleek greyish gowns. Julianne Hough brought colour to the red carpet in her gorgeous blue scaled gown looking like a mermaid,

Sofia Vergara knew she couldn't go wrong in a mindblowing Zuhair Murad piece, while Edie Falco looked ten years younger in that divine dress of hers.

THE SO SO

The ones I didn't like, nor hate, are Nicole Kidman, whose dress was truly lovely but was too short and made her look clumsy, Julianne 

Moore was maybe a bit too mustardy, while Ashley Judd did have a nice dress but what's with the horrid Transylvanian hairdo?

THE NO NO

The list of the worst dressed at the Emmy 2012 is really long. Claire Danes is pregnant and she wanted to wear something comfortable, but that yellow bag is for groceries not for wearing, Emily Van Camp

was dressed in cobwebs, January Jones scared us with her makeup and Joker smile, Glenn Close is legendary in acting but should stop wearing Nancy Regan dresses, Elizabeth Moss never really had any

style. Two of the actresses whose acting I don't really understand showed me that I don't understand their outfits either - Zooey Deschanel and Michelle Dockery.

THE WOO HOO

Or the ladies with the big boobies! For my boys :) Christina Hendricks and Kat Dennings didn't really need to worry, they will always impress the crowd if they appear with a big cleavage at the red carpet.

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

In short headlines today, I have two new posters to present to you: a lovely poster for RISE OF THE GUARDIANS (animated adventure which hits cinemas

this November and follows favourite children's heroes Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Jack Frost, The Sandman, and The Tooth Fairy, who have to fight against a nasty demon who wants to take the control over all the kids. The film includes voices from Jude Law, Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Chris Pine) and the one for  THE HOBBIT: THE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, this year's biggest epic fantasy which hits cinemas December 14th. The second poster shows Bilbo with his trusted sword. 

You can also check out the first official photo of Hugh Jackman as the fury superhero in THE WOLVERINE which should hit theatres next July! Wolverine will be searching for his origins in Asia.

MATT BOMER JOINS WILL SMITH, COLLIN FARRELL IN "WINTER'S TALE"! CW'S "AMAZON" WONDER WOMAN SHOW AND "COPELAND PREP"! WEIRD TRAILER FOR "THE DETAILS" WITH TOBY MAGUIRE & ELIZABETH BANKS

A movie project we've mentioned before a number of times is getting new cast members: according to "Deadline" Matt Bomer and ROBIN HOOD's Lucy Griffiths have joined fantasy story WINTER'S TALE directorial debut of Akiva Goldsman which already has Will Smith, Russell Crowe, Colin Farrell and William Hurt in the cast. It's a very complex period fantasy thriller based on a novel by Mark Helprin which brings a sweeping drama about reincarnation, set in the early 20th century and focusing on a thief (Farrell) on the run who, when breaking into a wealthy man’s home, strikes up a relationship with the man’s terminally ill daughter (DOWNTON ABBEY's Jessica Findlay). He later learns that he possesses the gift of reincarnation, and becomes determined to save her life.  A flying horse and a time-shift 100 years are elements which also appear in this supernatural story. Russel Crowe is set to play a ruthless criminal, while Will Smith will play a judge, Matt Bomer and Lucy Griffits will play the parents of the thief.

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES

 For your daily dose of television news, here are two pieces of info on CW's upcoming projects. First of all, "Deadline" reports that horrid director Catherine Hardwicke who gave the world cinematic

atrocities such as TWILIGHT and RED RIDING HOOD will team with GOSSIP GIRL producers on COPELAND PREP, a show which takes place at a secondary school where the students are being transformed into monster. CW is also developing Wonder Woman pilot which will be titled AMAZON because it will be an origin tale for the DC Comics heroine reviving the legend of Diana of Themyscira. This could mean an epic series, since Diana was the daughter of Queen Hippolyta, the first child born on Paradise Island in the three thousand year history that the immortal Amazons lived there. Six members of the Greek Pantheon

gave the baby special gifts and powers. Demeter, great strength; Athena, wisdom and courage; Artemis, a hunter's heart and a communion with animals; Aphrodite, beauty and a loving heart; Hestia, sisterhood with fire; Hermes, speed and the power of flight. 

THE DETAILS TRAILER

Now here's something overly strange and uber weird, even after watching the trailer I'm not really sure what THE DETAILS film is really about. Check it out yourself. Opening in cinemas November

 2nd the film will see Tobey Maguire and Elizabeth Banks playing a struggling married couple who, already struggling with issues like infidelity and whether they should stay married, see their lives further complicated by ravenous raccoons burrowing under the sod in their

 back yard. A disagreement over how to dispatch the pests creates a chain reaction of mishaps. But the trailer doesn't really speak of an adorable comedy with delightful raccoons, but something way too weird to be described. The cast also includes Laura Linney, Ray Liotta and Kerry Washington.

HOLLYWOOD SPY SPOTLIGHT ON DELIGHTFUL ANIMATED FILM "ZAMBEZIA" WITH LEONARD NIMOY, SAMUEL L. JACKSON, ABIGAIL BRESLIN, RICHARD E. GRANT, JEFF GOLDBLUM!

Continuing our delightful Sunday spotlight on lovely animated movies in which we've already covered RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, EPIC, THE CROODS and

JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR, today I have for you a recommendation from the head of HOLLYWOOD SPY's Nerd Department - Josh, an extremely fun, colourful and exotic animated feature titled ZAMBEZIA, which comes from South Africa and has already hit cinemas in some of European countries while in others it is ready to premiere later this winter. It still doesn't have a release date for United States (the distribution for English speaking countries has been sold to Sony). The film was made on a $20 million budget.

ZAMBEZIA STORY

This delightfully fun and enchantingly vivid animated film has a story set in a bustling bird city on the edge of the majestic Victoria Falls. The lovely story of ZAMBEZIA revolves around Kai, a young but high-

 spirited falcon that is brought up by his strict father in an isolated outpost. Kai's life will get completely turned upside down when a strange bird crashes into his small and protected world and tells him of

bird city of ZAMBEZIA. Kai sets on a journey to ZAMBEZIA where he discovers the truth about his origins and, in defending the city, learns how to be part of a community.

  ZAMBEZIA CHARACTERS

As you will see the cast of this animated movie is filled with stars who gave their voices to a wonderful gallery of characters: Jeremy Suarez plays Kai, a brave, high-spirited young falcon with an impulsive, daredevil streak that often gets him into trouble. Samuel L. Jackson 

is Tendai, a great warrior and a strong-willed, devoted father to Kai who is misguided by the fear of losing his son. Leonard Nimoy is Sekhuru, the founder of Zambezia and a mentor and father-figure for all Zambezians. He is calm under pressure, wise and intuitive. Abigail Breslin (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE) is Zoe, Sekhuru's adopted

 daughter and his natural successor. She has a strong sense of fairness and community but tends to take herself a little too seriously. British thespian Richard E. Grant is Cecil, a particularly ugly Marabou who has a chip on his shoulder about scavengers being excluded from ZAMBEZIA which he hides by 'putting on airs'. Jamal Mixon is

Ezee, who, irreverent and incorrigibly thick-skinned, is unashamedly self-gratifying and prides himself on his ability to enjoy the perks of Zambezia while doing as little work as possible. David Shaughnessy

is Morton, simpering in posture, but not in character. Morton is Cecil's runty cousin. He is a bit of a softy and is prone to sentimentality which he has to suppress around Cecil. Jeff Goldblum is also in the voice cast.

COLIN FIRTH SATURDAY: TRAILER FOR HIS "GAMBIT" WITH CAMERON DIAZ! COLIN IN "ARTHUR NEWMAN" WITH EMILY BLUNT, "SKINNY AND THE CAT" WITH CATE BLANCHETT, "THE RAILWAY MAN" WITH NICOLE KIDMAN, "BRIDGET JONES' BABY" WITH RENE ZELLWEGER

In the honour of the trailer release for his new film GAMBIT which you can see below, we shall dedicate today's post to British Oscar winner Colin Firth and his future projects. First he has ARTHUR NEWMAN film which was shown in Toronto Film Festival and in which he and Emily Blunt  play two people who, trying to escape their past, move into an abandoned house together and take on the identities of the absent owners: elderly newlyweds, a high-roller and his Russian lady, among others, but in the end discover that they love each other's true identities best. Colin's main project for 2013 will be a sweeping period drama THE RAILWAY MAN about a 

soldier’s battle to overcome his torture while he was a Japanese prisoner of war and how his wife helped him in the battle by setting up a mission back to the Bridge on the River Kwai, where her husband confronted the interpreter at his interrogations. Nicole Kidman plays his wife and Jeremy Irvine plays young version of Firth's character alongside Stellan Skarsgard and Sam Reid. Another charming duo will be Colin Firth and Cate Blanchett in SKINNY AND CAT, which depicts American photographer Margaret Bourke-White's marriage to novelist Erskine Caldwell in the late 1930s.The 2014 film will be directed by Barbra Streisand! Somewhere along the way, Firth should also join Rene Zellweger and Hugh Grant in BRIDGET JONES' BABY recounting Bridget's life in her 40s!

GAMBIT TRAILER

The video I have for you today is the first trailer for action comedy GAMBIT which features a rather strange combination of Colin Firth

and Cameron Diaz in the cast, alongside British actor Alan Rickman and Stanley Tucci. Opening in Britain later this November, the story follows a private art curator Harry Deane (Colin Firth) who devises a finely crafted scheme to con England's richest man and avid art collector, Lionel Shabandar, (Alan Rickman) into purchasing a fake Monet painting. In order to bait his buyer, he recruits a Texas rodeo queen (Cameron Diaz) to cross the pond and pose as a woman whose grandfather liberated the painting at the end of WWII. The film is directed by Michael Hoffman who helmed Leo

Tolstoi film THE LAST STATION with Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer and James McAvoy. And as you will see everybody is naked in the trailer - Rickman is full nude, Firth is pantless and Cameron is in her lingerie :)