Calling all "Bruno" fans!
Universal Pictures are laying on a special treat to celebrate the release of "Bruno" out to own and rent on DVD and Blu–ray from November 9th.
On Sunday 8th November from 19:30pm (doors open at 19:00pm) there will be a free screening of "Bruno" at the Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Square in London. But not only this, it will be a special version of the film with exclusive video commentary from Sacha Baron Cohen and the film‘s director Larry Charles.
Entry is free of charge and each audience member will be given 2 free drinks at the bar. If that wasn‘t enough there will be some "Bruno" goodies being given away to lucky audience members on the night.
Sacha Baron Cohen and Director Larry Charles share their best–kept filming secrets in a video commentary, showing for the first time ever how the duo pulled off some of the most flamboyant, most headline grabbing stunts of the year!
|
Bradley Cooper takes a stroll through "Dark Fields"
This week has been marked by wholesale casting changes, first with "The Tourist" and now Neil Bruger‘s ("The Illusionist") "Dark Fields". Originally set to star Shia LaBeouf in the lead role, the "Transformers" star has, obviously, since balked at the project and made way for "The Hangover‘s" Bradley Cooper. This will make for a nice doubleheader for Cooper after his work in the forthcoming "A–Team".
Based on the Alan Glynn book of the same name, "Dark Fields" will tell the story of a struggling writer who takes a top–secret pharmaceutical drug that exponentially boosts his brainpower. However, there‘s a catch. The down–on–his–luck scribe starts experiencing a ‘trip–switching‘ phenomenon that makes him perceive time differently to everyone else.
Hollywood Reporter‘s Heat Vision Blog describes the film thus; ‘Imagine a drug that makes your brain function with perfect efficiency, tapping into your most fundamental resources of intelligence and drive, releasing all the passive knowledge you‘d ever accumulated. A drug that made you focused, charming, fast, even attractive. Eddie Spinola is on such a drug. It‘s called MDT–48, and it‘s Viagra for the brain – a designer drug that‘s redesigning his life. But while MDT is helping Eddie achieve the kind of success he‘s only dreamed about, it‘s also chipping away at his sanity–splitting headaches, spontaneous blackouts, violent outbursts. And now that he‘s hooked and his supply is running low, Eddie must venture into the drug‘s dark past to feed his habit. What he discovers proves that MDT, once a dream come true, has become his worst nightmare.‘
|
Faris, Aykroyd and Timberlake sign up for "Yogi Bear"
They‘ve been whispering his name in the corridors of power for some time. The Hollywood big wigs are so convinced of his pulling power that they‘re even thinking in terms of franchise (do they think in any other terms??). So, who is this cinematic titan soon to be unleashed unto the world? No, it‘s not another Marvel comic creation. It is, in fact, "Yogi Bear" – the cherished, Jellowstone–dwelling ‘toon based on Hannah–Barbera‘s Saturday morning creation.
Taking point on this one is Eric Brevig ("Journey To The Centre Of The Earth") and the FX bod has already gathered about him an impressive cast. Anna Faris, Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake are looking to lend their respective vocal talents to this one for Warner Bros.
Faris will play a nature documentarian who follows the antics of a bear in fictional Jellystone Park. Aykroyd will voice Yogi, and Timberlake may even voice Yogi‘s companion, Boo Boo.
|
Danny Boyle goes for "127 Hours" later
Danny Boyle has had the pick of the Hollywood litter since scooping up an Oscar this year for "Slumdog Millionaire". Speculation was rife linking Boyle with a number of projects, including a return to his "28 Days Later" franchise ("28 Months Later" perhaps?). But all that rumour–mongering ends now as Fox Searchlight announced that Boyle will next step up to the plate for "127 Hours" – the story of Aron Ralston, the mountain climber who amputated his own arm to free himself from being trapped by a boulder.
Neither a script or a star are yet in place but it‘s likely that Boyle will reteam with "Slumdog‘s" Simon Beaufoy in order to flesh out his own treatment. All that‘s left really is for a star to ‘do a Castaway‘ and appear on screen all by his lonesome for large swathes of the film (sounds like Oscar gold!). Ryan Gosling‘s name has been touted about by the trade mags but no confirmation of this has been forthcoming.
Variety says the shoot is planned for next year, with Fox Searchlight looking to release around the Christmas period to put it firmly in contention with the Academy.
Variety describes the film thus; After his right forearm is pinned for nearly five days under a boulder during a climb in Utah in May, 2003, Ralston used a dull knife to amputate the limb. He then scaled a 65–foot sheer wall and hiked out before running into a family that gave him water and food. He was finally rescued by helicopter.
|
It's all change on "The Tourist" once more!
There are some projects that just appear doomed from the outset before a single frame is captured in earnest…and then there‘s "The Tourist" – a production that has recently been forced to install a revolving door marked ‘talent‘ in the lobby. With original director Bharat Nalluri and stars Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron having already skipped town, two of their replacements have decided to cite that old chestnut of ‘creative differences‘ and flee the scene too. Sam Worthington has decided that he‘d rather just sit back and watch his star ascend post "Avatar" and "Clash of The Titans" than get mixed up with this one. Likewise, replacement director Florian von Donnersmarck ("The Lives of Others") fell out with producers after discovering the direction this one was going in (south I presume?).
That leaves just Angelina Jolie (Theron‘s substitute) keeping the sheets warm…which does get one to thinking. Could it be that Jolie has been driving away her colleagues like she‘s been driving away warm reactions to her latest film, "Salt"? Apparently, her Agent–On–The–Run effort is shaping up to be a turkey but whatever the reasons behind "The Tourist‘s" travails it would appear people are still willing to take a risk and join forces with Jolie.
According to Variety, Worthington will be replaced by Johnny Depp (not bad) in the lead role of ‘an American tourist who, on behalf of Interpol, goes undercover to entrap a former lover who‘s a suspected global criminal.‘ Jolie is the suspected criminal, obviously. Producers will be practically giddy thanks to Depp‘s signing – the mega pairing with Jolie undoubtedly will put the hurt locker on the Box Office.
Meanwhile, Alfonso Cuaron ("Children Of Men") is eyeing up the project and could replace von Donnersmarck. Either way, whoever takes over "The Tourist" will be tasked with keeping the ship steady enough in order for ‘actual‘ filming to take place!
|
|
