HOLLYWOOD SPY SPOTLIGHTS: OCTOBER PREMIERES - "IN TIME" WITH JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE & AMANDA SEYFRIEND, AND ROLAND EMMERICH'S "ANONYMOUS"

Two of the movies which are looking to score success at the box office this October are sf thriller IN TIME, premiering October 28th, and medieval mystery ANONYMOUS also premiering October 28th.

FUTURE COMES "IN TIME"

Visually beautiful sf thriller IN TIME is set in the not-too-distant future where the aging gene has been switched off. To avoid over population, time has become the currency and the way people pay for luxuries and necessities. The rich can live forever, while the rest try to negotiate for their immortality. Justin Timberlake plays a poor young man accused of murder when he inherits a fortune of time from a dead upper old class man. He is forced to go on the run from a corrupt FBI-like police force known as the

'Timekeepers', as well as from a hoodlum-like middle-aged Mob called the 'Minutemen', led by a senior citizen named Fortis, who is 75 years old. Amanda Seyfried plays a rich girl Timberlake takes as a hostage during his run. Olivia Wilde and MAD MEN's Vincent Kartheiser play Timberlake's young looking parents, while Cillian Murphy plays the agent who tries to catch Timberlake. The cast also includes two stunning boys Alex Pettyfer and Matt Bomer.

IN TIME TIDBITS

The director of the film is Andrew Niccol famous for his highly stylized sf films GATTACA, SIMONE and THE TRUMAN SHOW.

The original title for the film was I'M.MORTAL. It is not known why did the producers opted for the less interesting new title. Justin Timberlake is older in real life than Olivia Wilde who plays his mother. The tagline of the film is "Live forever or die trying"! The music in the film is composed by amazing Craig Armstrong known for his musical masterpieces in MOULIN ROUGE, ELIZABETH GOLDEN AGE, LOVE ACTUALLY, THE QUIET AMERICAN and ROMEO AND JULIETTE.

PAST IS "ANONYMOUS"

Set in the political snake-pit of Elizabethan England, ANONYMOUS speculates on an issue that has for centuries intrigued academics and brilliant minds ranging from Mark Twain

and Charles Dickens to Henry James and Sigmund Freud, namely: who was the author of the plays credited to William Shakespeare? Experts have debated, books have been written, and scholars have devoted their lives to protecting or debunking theories surrounding the authorship of the most renowned works in English literature. ANONYMOUS poses one possible answer, focusing on a time when cloak-and-dagger political intrigue, illicit romances in the Royal Court, and the schemes of greedy nobles hungry for the power of the throne were exposed in

the most unlikely of places: the London stage. Set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I, and the Essex Rebellion against her, ANONYMOUS brings the theory that it was Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford who penned Shakespeare's plays.

ANONYMOUS TIDBITS

The cast of the film is lead by Rhys Ifans in the lead role, Vanessa Redgrave as Queen Elizabeth and David Thewlis. William Shakespeare is played by young Rafe Spall, while his rival Christopher Marlowe is played by Trystan Gravelle. Joely

Richardson plays young Queen Elizabeth. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich who is taking a break from his usual sf blockbusters (INDEPENDENCE DAY, STARGATE, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW. Legendary sir Derek Jacobi will lend his equally legendary voice in the prologue of the film.

WONDERFUL TRAILER FOR "THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL" WITH JUDI DENCH & MAGGIE SMITH! ISLA FISHER IN "NOW YOU SEE ME"? STEPHEN MOYER IN "THE BARRENS"! "BEAUTY & BEAST" SHOW ON CW?

 According to "Variety" always lovely Isla Fisher (CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC) could join the cast of heist movie NOW YOU

SEE ME which already includes Amanda Seyfried, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman and Jesse Eisenberg. As you remember Mark Ruffalo will play the leader of a team of FBI agents who are investigating the Four Horsemen, a squad of the world's greatest illusionists who pull off a series of daring bank heists during their performances, then shower the profits on their audience. Eisenberg is the leader of the illusionists, Freeman is an ex-magician, while Isla Fisher could play a master technician who builds contraptions to aid in the illusion of the heists.

SHORT HOLLYWOOD HEADLINES

Charming Stephen Moyer from TRUE BLOOD will star in THE BARRENS as a man who takes his family on a camping trip

to the more than 1 million acres of dense forest known as the New Jersey Pine Barrens, where he becomes convinced they're being stalked by the legendary winged monster that looks like a deformed hybrid of several different animals. According to "MovieWeb" CW is planning a remake of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST TV show which, back in the 80's, followed the story of a beast-man who lived beneath New York City and, through a psychic bond,  developed a relationship with a lovely attorney in the city.

It's here, it's here - the first trailer for super charming THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, which premieres next March and has a stunning cast including Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bil

Nighy, Tom Wilkinson and young Dev Patel. Directed by John Madden the film follows a group of British retirees who decide to "outsource" their retirement to less expensive and seemingly exotic India. Enticed by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel and bolstered with visions of a life of leisure, they arrive to find the palace a shell of its former self. Though the new environment is less luxurious than imagined, they are forever transformed by their shared experiences, discovering that life and love can begin again when you let go of the past.

TRAILERS FOR "13" WITH JASON STATHAM, MICKEY ROURKE & ALEXANDER SKARSGARD, AND CREEPY "THE AWAKENING"! DC COMICS "SPECTRE" TV SHOW! ETHAN HAWKE IN NBC'S "BLUE TILT"

Today I have two trailers for you, and the first one is for a rather intriguing and strange action thriller 13 which rounds up a pretty huge cast including Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke,

Alexander Skarsgard, Ray Winstone, Michael Shannon and even 50 Cent. Premiering October 28th,  the film follows a naive young man who assumes a dead man's identity and finds himself embroiled in an underground world of power, violence, and chance where men gamble behind closed doors on the lives of other men in some very strange game. And if you're not into action films, you might at least like Jason Statham's rather fancy and totally unusual and dashing outfits in the film :)

SHORT HOLLYWOOD HEADLINES

According to "Deadline" Fox has ordered a pilot for SPECTRE TV show, based on DC Comics hero Jim Corrigan, a former hard-nosed cop who is stuck in the afterlife. He must return to

Earth to hunt down criminals on behalf of a mysterious entity known only as "The Voice". Another two film actors to join the trend of movie stars moving to TV are Ethan Hawke and Vincent D'Onofrio who have joined new TV show BLUE TILT to be aired on NBC. They will play two seasoned homicide detectives - one married and one divorced - who are solving cases while dealing with their wives and ex-wives and kids. As "MovieWeb" reports the title BLUE TILT refers to a cop term for homicide detectives who, as a result of dealing with particularly brutal crimes, become a danger to themselves and are put under psychiatric observation.

The second trailer for today promotes spooky period thriller THE AWAKENING which should premiere sometime this year. The

atmospheric movie is set in 1921 when England is overwhelmed by the loss and grief of World War I. Rather bland British actress Rebecca Hall plays an author and professional hoax exposer from London, who is approached by a teacher (Dominic West) at a boarding school for little boys, because he believes the students are being tormented by a ghost. But when she starts exploring in order to explain sightings of a child ghost, everything she knew unravels as the 'missing' begin to show themselves. Always wonderful Imelda Staunton also appears in the film. 

HAUNTING TRAILER FOR MATTHEW GOODE'S "BURNING MAN"! CRAZY POSTER FOR "ICE AGE CONTINENTAL DRIFT"! J.J.ABRAMS WILL HELM "STAR TREK 2"! BORIS KODJOE IN "RESIDENT EVIL RETRIBUTION"

Ah, poor Scrat, he's in trouble again as you can see on the poster of ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT. The fourth installment of

the super popular animated saga is ready to premiere in summer 2012 facing the adorable prehistoric creatures with ice caps melting. Separated from the rest of the herd, they will use an iceberg as a makeshift ship, which will launch them on an epic seafaring quest. They will encounter exotic sea creatures, explore a brave new world, and battle ruthless pirates. And Scrat's reunion with his cursed nut will catapult him to places no prehistoric squirrel has gone before. Each of the previous movies has earned from $200 million to $300 million more than the one before.

SHORT HOLLYWOOD HEADLINES

As "Vulture" reports, J.J. Abrams has officially signed on to direct STAR TREK II. The long anticipated sequel to the marvelous sf blockbuster from 2009 will again have the old cast

together including Karl Urban, Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine. It is not known when will the film come out, but the script is currently in works. After Wentworth Miller who was the male lead in the last part of the RESIDENT EVIL saga, the male star of RESIDENT EVIL RETRIBUTION will be Boris Kodjoe who will again join Milla Jovovich and Sienna Guillory in the fifth part of the sf franchise which is currently being filmed in Toronto with the premiere scheduled for Autumn 2012. Always funny, Nathan Lane has joined Julianne Moore and Greg Kinnear in THE ENGLISH TEACHER in which he will play a drama teacher. As you know, Lane is also playing Evil Queen's servant in Tarsem's SNOW WHITE alongside Julia Roberts.

There haven't been many trailers released recently, but I have an interesting one for you today. It is the haunting and inspiring

trailer for BURNING MAN, which stars super charming and deeply charismatic Matthew Goode from WATCHMEN and LEAP YEAR as an English chef with a chic restaurant on Bondi Beach who is trying to put his life and his relationship with his little son back on track while surrounded by women who are all trying to help him change his reckless ways after he had experienced a tragic accident. The cast also includes two ladies from Australia: young Serbian actress Bojana Novakovic, whom you've seen alongside Mel Gibson in EDGE OF DARKNESS and in DRAG ME TO HELL, and always talented Rachel Griffiths from BROTHERS AND SISTERS and MURIEL'S WEDDING.

NEW "THE WALKING DEAD" POSTER! "HIGHLANDER" & "POINT BREAK" GETTING REMAKES! SF SAFARI IN "OFFWORLD"! NICHOLAS COSTER WALDAU FROM "GAME OF THRONES" TO "MAMA" HORROR!

 It seems that all is set for the planetary premiere of the long awaited second season of last year's ground breaking new show THE WALKING DEAD which became a worldwide hit in just six

episodes. You can check out a new poster for the second season which will now see the survivors of the zombie epidemic leave the hell of zombie infested streets of scorching hot Atlanta and will head to the country expecting to find peace there, but will actually come upon some good old hillbilly zombies :) As you know, the 90 minutes long opening episode will be aired on October 16th at AMC and will then be broadcast that same week in stunning 122 countries around the world on different Fox international channels.

SHORT HOLLYWOOD HEADLINES

Young director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 WEEKS LATER), who is helming the remake of THE CROW, might also direct another reboot - the one for HIGHLANDER, in which Christopher

Lambert played an immortal warrior. But since that is not enough of remakes, it was announced today that another 90's film might get made again - POINT BREAK in which Keanu Reeves and late Patrick Swayze played agents who mixed with the surfers in order to discover a dangerous gang. Another GAME OF THRONES star to get a new project is dashing Nikolaj Coster Waldau (naughty Jaime Lannister) who will join Jessica Chastain in MAMA, a strange horror which follows a young married couple that take in their nieces and nephews, who had been lost in the woods for the past five years. It soon becomes apparent that a malicious supernatural force is after the kids.

According to "Empire" young Brit Julian Gilbey will direct a new sf adventure OFFWORLD which is being described as an intergalactic pedal-to-the-metal safari movie set on an alien planet. This alien thriller will be filled with all kinds of extraterrestrial life forms, some dangerous, and some working on the side of the heroes, and with all sorts of nasty creatures.

And check out the new pic of international superstar Miss Piggy who is the star of THE MUPPETS movie premiering this November. Playing a plus-size editor of Vogue Paris, she shares her sublime fashion sensibilities with readers worldwide... at least until Kermit shows up. Miss Piggy, famous fashion icon, has said about the role: "It's the role I was born to play. Moi plays a high-powered, confident, charismatic, gorgeous, scene-stealing star who saves the day and wins her frog's heart."

JAMES MCAVOY IS HOLLYWOOD SPY'S BEST SCOTTISH ACTOR FOLLOWED BY EWAN MCGREGOR. NEW POLL: WHO SHOULD BE 2012 OSCARS HOST?

 Well, HOLLYWOOD SPY's THE BEST SCOTTISH STAR poll is over and we were the witnesses of the power of James McAvoy's fans (called the McAvoyeurs) who left stunning 216

votes (62%) proclaiming him the proud winner. He left Ewan McGregor (19%), Gerard Butler (8%) and Robert Carlyle (7%) behind him.

The young star from the British Isles, James McAvoy really is a rising shinning gem in Hollywood. Who wouldn't love him with all of his talent, charisma, peaceful presence and modesty. Admit that you just loved him in NARNIA, that he was the only amazing thing in ATONEMENT, that you believed him in DUNE and wanted to

worship the Muad'Dib, that he took your heart away in PENELOPE and that you loved the x in his Professor X in X-MEN FIRST CLASS. That you wanted him in WANTED, that you wished to catch a ride with him at THE LAST STATION,

that he was rather becoming in BECOMING JANE, and that you wanted to join the army when you saw him in BAND OF BROTHERS :)

In the future he will land his voice in ARTHUR CHRISTMAS, he will be a detective in WELCOME TO THE PUNCH, then he will play a junkie cop in FILTH and then an art heist expert in TRANCE. He really deserves some bigger roles in Hollywood. His wife is also a famous British actress Anne Marie Duff (brilliant as queen Elizabeth in amazing THE VIRGIN QUEEN mini series), he is an ex-roommate and great friend with Jesse Spencer (HOUSE),  he

wanted to be a priest as a kid...

Now let us move to our new poll - WHO SHOULD BE 2011 OSCARS HOST? You already know that Eddie Murphy has got the job, but beside him, for which of the following candidates would you also vote: Ben Stiller, Justin Timberlake, Sandra Bullock, Neil Patrick Harris, Betty White, Tim Allen, Robin Williams or Dame Edna? I reckon all of them have enough charm, wit and sense of humor to appear as hosts in the Kodak Theatre.

"CARRIE'S DIARIES" MOVE TO CW! "HANNIBAL LECTER" TV SHOW! "THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE" YA SAGA! RACHEL WEISZ & TOM HIDDLESTON IN FIRST "THE DEEP BLUE SEE" POSTER

According to "The Hollywood Reporter" Danny De Vito is ready to direct the movie adaptation of the YA saga THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE and he has signed on Pierce Brosnan and Morgan Freeman in the lead roles.  The book details the story of Charlotte Doyle, the young daughter of an aristocrat who has lived a very sheltered life and who sets out from Liverpool on a trans Atlantic journey to her new home in America. She finds herself the only passenger, and the only girl, on the Seahawk, a majestic ship under the command of Captain Jaggery and the tale is billed as a story of intrigue on the open sea.

SHORT HOLLYWOOD HEADLINES

The first poster has been released for drama THE DEEP BLUE SEA starring two gorgeous and super talented people Rachel Weisz and Tom Hiddleston. The film, which premieres this

November, should be one of the Oscar contenders with the story about the cheating wife of a British Judge  caught in a self destructive love affair with a Royal Air Force pilot. "Deadline" reports that the spin-off to famous SEX AND THE CITY, is moving to CW. CARRIE'S DIARIES, which follows High School years of famous Carrie Bradshaw, will be produced by GOSSIP GIRL creators. Another new show will be HANNIBAL LECTER TV series which will be written by the producer of PUSHING DAISIES and will describe Lecter's early relationship with FBI profiler Will Graham.

One of the upcoming dramas most of you got intrigued by when I mentioned it before is WARM BODIES in which the story follows an existentially tormented zombie who falls for the girlfriend of one of his victims and decides to protect her from his brain-eating brethren as he begins to reconnect with his dormant humanity.

I've recently mentioned that super charming comedian Rob Corddry has joined gorgeous young people Teresa Palmer and Nicholas Hoult who are taking the lead roles, but now there are new additions to the cast: James Franco's brother Dave Franco will play Teresa Palmer's boyfriend the leader of humans who are fighting against zombies, while John Malkovitch will play a general who wants to eradicate all zombies. Similar to Nicholas Hoult, Rob Corddry will be one of the good zombies.

SHOCKING NEWS: ANDY WHITFIELD FROM "SPARTACUS" DIED THIS MORNING IN SYDNEY!

Bad, bad, bad news today, people. I'm extremely sad to inform you that Andy Whitfield has died last night :(( Wonderfully charismatic, stunningly handsome star of SPARTACUS BLOOD

AND SAND who always seemed so warm, kind and polite has died from cancer in Sydney this morning in the arms of his loving wife as "Daily Mai"l reports.
As you know, talented young New Zealand actor was diagnosed with stage 1 of the disease in March 2010, but was declared cancer-free two months later after beginning treatment immediately in New Zealand. It was thought that he would then resume the shooting of the second season of SPARTACUS show, which became a worldwide hit in its premiere season, but the cancer returned later on and Andy had to continue with a more aggressive

treatment. He left the show then and was replaced by a new actor.
HOLLYWOOD SPY shall remember his shinning talent and his brilliant charisma.Such a sad loss of a very young man! He was just 39!

DAVID TWOHY HELMING "THE LEONARDO JOB"! JULIANNE MOORE & GREG KINNEAR IN "THE ENGLISH TEACHER"! MEL GIBSON MAKING "JUDAH MACCABEE" EPIC? RUSSELL CROWE JOINS HUGH JACKMAN IN "LES MISERABLES"

It is official: Russell Crowe will join Hugh Jackman in LES MISERABLES playing inspector Javert against Jackman's Jean

Valjean! As "Deadline" reports, the adaptation of Victor Hugo's book follows peasant Jean Valjean who has just been released from imprisonment in the Bagne of Toulon after nineteen years (five for stealing bread for his starving sister and her family, and fourteen more for numerous escape attempts). Upon being released, he is required to carry a yellow passport that marks him as a prisoner, despite having already paid his debt to society by serving his time in prison. As you remember one of the contenders for the role of Javert was Paul Bettany.

SHORT HOLLYWOOD HEADLINES

This could be a charming couple: Julianne Moore and Greg Kinnear will star in a new comedy THE ENGLISH TEACHER about a

female teacher whose life is upended when a former star pupil returns to her small town after failing miserably as a playwright in New York. What's new in the loony world of Mel Gibson? Well, according to "MovieWeb" he will shoot an epic film on JUDAH MACCABEE who, along with his father and four brothers, lead the Jewish revolt against the tyrannical Greek-Syrian army in 167 BC. Famous screenwriter Joe Eszterhas will help Mel in his new mission. According to "Variety" Ron Howard will direct 364, an unusual spin on the superhero films about a guy who is normal 364 days a year and one day he has superhuman powers.

According to "MovieWeb" David Twohy (from RIDDICK sf saga) will helm THE LEONARDO JOB, an action thriller about two rival master thieves who are hired to go to Florence to steal the "lost" Leonardo da Vinci painting "The Battle of Anghiari".

These experts use high tech and old tricks to prove the painting exists and pinpoint its location - hidden behind another masterpiece. They are forced to combine skills when their schemes to steal the painting get more complicated and dangerous after they discover they are not the only ones pursuing the hidden treasure.

HOLLYWOOD SPY SPOTLIGHTS: "REAL STEEL" WITH HUGH JACKMAN, EVANGELINE LILLY AND KEVIN DURAND READY TO PREMIERE IN CINEMAS THIS OCTOBER!

 After the rather boring September, October is slowly bringing back big blockbusters into cinemas, and one of them will certainly be Hugh Jackman's REAL STEEL spectacular new sf adventure set in the world of futuristic robot boxing and fighting. The film opens in cinemas October 7th.

REAL STEEL STORY

A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future, where the sport of boxing has gone hi-tech, REAL STEEL stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall

steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo)to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback. Together they will try to make a champion out of a discarded robot.

REAL STEEL CAST

This is sort of a comeback for super charming and ultra talented Hugh Jackman, who didn't really have any films ever since AUSTRALIA in 2008, although he did have smaller roles this summer in BUTTER and in SNOWFLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN. As you know, ahead of him he has roles in WOLVERINE, LES MISERABLES and in THE GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH. Other REAL STEEL cast members include gorgeous Evangeline Lilly (from LOST, who is also playing an Elven girl in THE HOBBIT), action star Kevin Durand (LOST, I AM NUMBER FOUR, LEGION), and rising African

American hunk Anthony Mackie (THE HURT LOCKER, THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU).

REAL STEEL TIDBITS

The film is directed by Shawn Levy who helmed NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM,  DATE NIGHT and is currently on the verge of getting some big projects in Hollywood. The movie apparently

cost somewhere around $80 million. The catchy tagline of the film is - courage is stronger than steel! For young, 12 year old Dakota Goyo, who plays Hugh Jackman's son in the film, this is actually a second huge blockbuster role this year: earlier this spring he played young Thor in THOR. The story on which the film is based, STEEL by Richard Matheson, is actually set in a dystopian world, but the film is set in modern America. DreamWorks has already started work on the sequel to the film. Stunning Olga Fonda will play a Russian owner of one of the champion robots in the film.