Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- 'Felicity' Cast: Where Are They Now?
- The Russo Brothers Will Direct Both 'Avengers: Infinity War' Movies
- HBO's 'Game of Thrones' Will Spoil the End of George R.R. Martin's Book Series (VIDEO)
- 'Downton Abbey' Will End After Season 6: Report
- Jennifer Lawrence Says 'X-Men: Apocalypse' Is Her 'Last One' Playing Mystique (VIDEO)
- Vin Diesel Pays Tribute to Paul Walker at 'Furious 7' Screening
- Fox's 'The X-Files' Revival Could Start Shooting This Summer
- What's New on TV, Netflix Streaming, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: March 23 - March 29
- Top 10 Failed Movie Franchises (VIDEO)
- 'The Walking Dead' Season 5, Episode 15 Recap: Stand By Your Man
- The Full 'Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation' Trailer Is Even Cooler (VIDEO)
- The 10 Most Terrifying Deaths in Disney Movies (VIDEO)
- The 20 Best Late-Night Talk Show Hosts Ever
- 'Pretty Woman': 25 Things You Didn't Know About the Julia Roberts Classic
- 'Insurgent' vs. 'The Gunman' Proves Box Office Is No Country for Old Men
- Recap of 'Revenge' Season 4 Episode 17: Loss
| 'Felicity' Cast: Where Are They Now? Posted: Keri Russell has come a long way since her days as college student Felicity Porter on the beloved college coming-of-age series, "Felicity." The actress turns 39 on March 23, so why not revisit the show that made her a star? Remember the days when The CW was known as the WB, Keri's curls were all the rage (let's not talk about that sophomore cut), and everyone was constantly asking: Noel or Ben? Find out where the cast of "Felicity" is now.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Russo Brothers Will Direct Both 'Avengers: Infinity War' Movies Posted:  The "Avengers" series is getting not one, but two new directors for its final two installments: Joe and Anthony Russo.Badass Digest reported earlier Monday that the Russo brothers would take over for departing "Avengers" director Joss Whedon, and will helm both segments of the two-part "Avengers: Infinity War." The deal was later confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter. The Russos are a hot commodity in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, coming off the success of helming 2014's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," and are currently in pre-production on the upcoming "Captain America: Civil War," which is slated for release on May 6, 2016. According to Badass Digest, the plan is for them to start shooting "Infinity War" sometime in 2016, and film both flicks back-to-back. No writers are currently attached to the project, though Badass Digest and THR both report that writing partners Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (who penned all three "Captain America" movies) are rumored to be the likely candidates for the job. Expect an official announcement from Marvel about the Russo brothers' deal sometime soon. "Avengers: Infinity War - Part 1" is due in theaters on May 4, 2018, and "Avengers: Infinity War - Part 2" is slated for release on May 3, 2019. [via: Badass Digest] Photo credit: Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| HBO's 'Game of Thrones' Will Spoil the End of George R.R. Martin's Book Series (VIDEO) Posted:
We're sure that fans of Martin's series will be disappointed if "Thrones" spoils the ending, but given Martin's notoriously-slow writing process, it seemed inevitable that something like this would happen. And Benioff's note about Martin throwing in extra character details in the two remaining books, "The Winds of Winter" and "A Dream of Spring," seems like the most fair compromise the two parties could reach under these circumstances. However this situation plays out, we have no doubt that "Game of Thrones" will remain as popular as ever. Check out the full video of Benioff and Weiss's appearance -- which also includes actors Kit Harington and John Bradley -- below. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Downton Abbey' Will End After Season 6: Report Posted:  Maggie Smith tipped her hand when she commented recently that she may or may not be leaving "Downton Abbey," and now comes word on why that might be: The PBS drama will end after its upcoming sixth season.TVLine reports that the Emmy-winning series will come to an end after the next batch of episodes airs, noting that the move came down to logistics. The site writes: Parent company NBC Universal had no comment on TVLine's report. Stay tuned for an official announcement about "Downton"'s end (and when season six may premiere). [via: TVLine] Photo credit: BBC/PBS's Masterpiece This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Jennifer Lawrence Says 'X-Men: Apocalypse' Is Her 'Last One' Playing Mystique (VIDEO) Posted:  Jennifer Lawrence will be leaving the "X-Men" series after the next film in the franchise, "Apocalypse."The actress made that revelation during an interview with MTV News while promoting her new film, "Serena." When asked if "Apocalypse" would be the last "X-Men" film in the rebooted series, Lawrence said she wasn't sure, but added that it was the end of the line for her playing Mystique. "It is my last one," Lawrence told the site in a video interview. No other details about her departure from the franchise were revealed. Lawrence broke into the "X-Men" series in prequel flick "X-Men: First Class," portraying a younger version of the blue-skinned mutant. She reprised the role for 2014's "X-Men: Days of Future Past," and is set to play a major part in the plot of "Apocalypse." Check out the full interview with Lawrence below. (Skip to the 3:25 mark for the "X-Men" talk.) "X-Men: Apocalypse" is due in theaters on May 27, 2016. [via: MTV News] Photo credit: Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Vin Diesel Pays Tribute to Paul Walker at 'Furious 7' Screening Posted:  Vin Diesel has been vocal about his grief over the sudden passing of co-star Paul Walker, and continued to pay tribute to his late friend during a recent screening of their last film together, "Furious 7."At the event, which took place in Los Angeles last week, Diesel told attendees that the film was a "labor of love" that honored Walker. "Furious 7" was in the middle of filming when Walker, 39, died in a car crash in November 2013, delaying production. "It was in some ways the hardest movie I ever had to do because the relationships that you see on film are so real," Diesel said at the screening. "When the tragedy happened, I lost my best friend. I lost my brother." Diesel added that cast and crew "made this movie from our hearts," and said that the film was "our gift" to the fans, as well as Walker. "Furious 7" will be dedicated to Walker's memory. It's due in theaters on April 3. [via: People] Photo credit: Getty Images for Universal Pictures This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Fox's 'The X-Files' Revival Could Start Shooting This Summer Posted:  "The X-Files" creator Chris Carter piqued fans' interest last summer when he hinted that a reboot of the show could be in the works. Now, a new report suggests that that possibility is all but a certainty, and new episodes of the dearly departed sci-fi series could start shooting as soon as this summer.According to TVWise, original "X-Files" network Fox "is close to giving an official green-light to a revival of their iconic science fiction series," and is set to order a "short-stack" season of less than 10 episodes (akin to the network's other limited "event series" programming). Talks with 20th Century Fox Television, which produced the original series from 1993-2002, are still ongoing. TVWise also reports that original stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are both already on board for the project, citing their scheduling conflicts as the number one delay in getting the revival off the ground. Fox hopes to begin production sometime this summer, according to the site. In addition to Duchovny and Anderson, Mitch Pileggi is also confirmed to return, as are "other key cast members," TVWise reports. Carter will write, direct, and produce the project. After Carter set off a firestorm with his comments last summer, Fox confirmed talks with the creator earlier this year during a panel at the Television Critics Association winter press tour. With this new report, it seems that "X-Files" fans have good reason to keep their hopes up. [via: TVWise] Photo credit: Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| What's New on TV, Netflix Streaming, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: March 23 - March 29 Posted:  At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.New on DVD and Blu-ray "Into The Woods" The Blu-ray release of this star-studded musical extravaganza has some cool extras, like a deleted scene featuring Meryl Streep singing Sondheim's "She'll Be Back," a doc about the production design and costumes, and even the option to watch the individual performances with the lyrics onscreen. Below, get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the special effects (and sneakers) used in the making of Disney's hit musical.  "The Thin Blue Line" This game-changing documentary by Errol Morris has gotten the Criterion treatment, complete with a high-def digital transfer, an interview with Morris, and more. "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" The final movie in the "Hobbit" trilogy has arrived on Blu-ray. There aren't a ton of extras, but hey, if you're a Tolkien diehard, we aren't here to judge. This is also available as part of "The Hobbit: The Motion Picture Trilogy," which is comprised of six Blu-ray discs and three DVDs. TV Worth Watching "Kroll Show" (Tuesday on Comedy Central at 10:30 p.m. EST) It's the series finale of Nick Kroll's sketch comedy show, so get ready to pour one out for Bobby Bottleservice, PubLIZity, Mikey from "Wheels Ontario," and everyone else you've come to know and love over the years. "Pretty Little Liars" (Tuesday on ABC Family at 8 p.m. EST) Get ready for the season finale of this popular teen series. Are you ready to find out who "Big A" is? "The Walking Dead" (Sunday on AMC at 9 p.m. EST) This is a week of non-stop finales, but this is definitely the one that will have our hearts and brains pumping the hardest. Who will live? Who will die? Who will be turned into a zombie with an insatiable urge for delicious brains? New on Netflix "Amadeus" Milos Forman's period piece about Mozart's success, told from the point of view of fellow composer Antonio Salieri, snagged eight Oscars for good reason. A must-see, from the performances to the incredible costumes! "Life Itself" If you're up for an insightful tearjerker, this documentary about the late, great Roger Ebert is a must-see. "Bloodline" This original Netflix series has an intensely talented cast; Sissy Spacek stars as the matriarch of a troubled family, alongside Sam Shepard as her husband, and Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn, Linda Cardellini, and Tony-winning Broadway actor Norbert Leo Butz as their adult children. New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" (iTunes) Buy or rent this wildly creative film about a nameless female vampire who wanders the streets of Bad City taking bites out of very bad men. The iTunes extras include some issues of the graphic novel, interviews with writer/director Ana Lily Amirpour and star Sheila Vand, and more. "Into the Woods" (iTunes) If you prefer digital media to Blu-rays, you can buy this new release on iTunes instead. It comes with most of the same features as the Blu-ray, too. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Top 10 Failed Movie Franchises (VIDEO) Posted:  Come on, you seriously thought that was going to get a sequel? This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'The Walking Dead' Season 5, Episode 15 Recap: Stand By Your Man Posted:  It's been only one episode since Carol told Rick that he needed to solve Jessie's spousal abuse problem by offing her horrid husband, and that plot accelerated into overdrive during this week's installment of "The Walking Dead," titled "Try."No, Rick didn't actually kill Pete, but the two men had a gnarly fistfight that started in Jessie and Pete's house, smashed out their front window, and continued onto the streets of Alexandria, where everyone looked on in horror as the two men rolled around and beat each other to a bloody pulp. Earlier, Rick confronted Jessie with his knowledge of Pete's abuse, and while the woman initially rebuffed Rick's offers of help, skeptical of his motivations, she eventually relented when she realized that the constable's crush on her was more than just puppy love. And while Rick letting Little Rick guide his desire to separate Jessie and Pete may have been the initial driving force behind his actions, it's clear that Deanna and the rest of the Alexandrians are clueless when it comes to crime prevention within their walls, and something needs to be done about the doctor. But the community doesn't take kindly to strangers trying to assert an absolute authority over their meek methods, and despite her predilection for peace, quiet, and ignoring a man hitting his wife until she's unconscious and bleeding, Deanna is anything but meek. She stands up to a raving Rick, who looks every bit the lunatic Deanna fears him to be as he shouts that he knows what's best for the community -- all while covered in blood and waving his gun wildly in the air. It ain't a good look for the sheriff's deputy, and while viewers at home may know that on some level Rick is right (Pete is bad news, and while he may not necessarily deserve to die, he must be dealt with), he isn't doing himself any favors in arguing his case while sounding like a madman. The Deanna vs. Rick showdown has been brewing since the moment Rick's group entered the Alexandria gates, and after Deanna's conversation with Father Gabriel last week, and her discussion with Rick during this week's episode about their sharply different approaches to handling problems, it seems we're in for a nasty resolution. I was surprised that Rick came right out and revealed to Deanna that he wanted to kill Pete, but alas, his efforts to be more inclusive in his decision-making backfired in a big way. Deanna already knew about the couple's problems, but "hoped it'd get better." A clearly disgusted Rick argues in favor of his execution plan, at which Deanna immediately balks, warning Rick, "that kind of thinking doesn't belong in here." Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like Rick and co. belong in there either, despite everyone's somewhat-best efforts to make it work. Surprisingly, Noah's death did not go unmourned by the rest of the group, and his loss ripples throughout them. Glenn tries valiantly to carry on the young man's optimism, telling Rick that they need to make a life in Alexandria at all costs, unaware that Nick has been feeding Deanna lies about what really went down on that supply run. Nick (who has the most punchable face I've seen on this show in quite some time) claims that it was Glenn's fault that Aiden died, that Glenn wanted to abandon Aiden, and that Glenn was the one responsible for Noah's death. (To her credit, Deanna seems extremely skeptical of this retelling of events.) Glenn, unaware that Nick tried to pin everything on him, later confronts the man to tell him he shouldn't be outside the walls again, because he just can't hack it. "People like you are supposed to be dead -- but these walls went up just in time, so you're not," Glenn tells him. Later, Nick defies Glenn's warnings and ventures outside anyway, uncovering a gun he had hidden in the woods. Is it Rick's similarly-stashed gun, which went missing? Judging by how squirrelly Nick acts, I'm guessing yes. Also taking Noah's death surprisingly hard are Michonne and Sasha, who act out in different ways. Michonne goes catatonic, not able to bring herself to put on her constable uniform and leaving her sword behind when Rosita asks for her help in looking for Sasha. The latter woman, who's a nervous, weeping, emotional wreck, took off after her shift atop the watchtower, and heads into the woods to mow down zombies. "I'm sick of playing defense," she explains as she prepares to take on a giant horde. This totally-not-unhealthy-or-reckless-in-any-way attitude comes to a head with Sasha nearly getting her own head bitten off, before Michonne gets her groove back and takes down the walker that has Sasha pinned to the ground. Later, Michonne is the one to stop Rick's manic monologuing with a swift blow to the head. The constable lays down an ultimatum with Deanna, telling her that things need to change in Alexandria, and its residents need to be better controlled. Deanna implies that it's Rick who needs controlling, and his bug-eyed "Who, ME?!?" reaction is so over-the-top incredulous that it's hilarious. He has a point, but in the midst of all his ranting and raving, it's hard to take him seriously. "Things don't get better because you want them to," Rick growls, adding an extra tone of disdain as he spits out the word "want." " ... Your way's gonna destroy this place. Your way's gonna get people killed. It's already gotten people killed. And I'm not gonna stand by and just let it happen. If you don't fight, you die." Michonne's punch lands soon after that last line, an eloquent bit of punctuation to the sheriff's point. We'll see how that fight progresses when he comes to. Other thoughts: - I'm sure you've all been dying to see Carl get a love interest, and finally, "The Walking Dead" delivers. (Insert sarcastic eyeroll here.) Carl and Enid act out some teen angst by running through the woods together, then coming *thisclose* to kissing while hiding from some zombies in a hollowed-out tree trunk. "It's their world. We're just living in it," Enid tells Carl of the walkers, a quote that would totally be in her AIM profile if the apocalypse took place in the late '90s (and they had internet access). Enid also tells Carl that she's scared of him, for reasons she can't articulate. She's not alone in finding Carl kind of creepy. - Speaking of AIM profiles, some key lyrics can be pulled from the Nine Inch Nails tune that plays over the episode's opening sequence. The song, "Somewhat Damaged," was on one of Aiden's mix CDs that he blasted in the car when going out on supply runs (and which Glenn and co. made fun of on the last fateful outing), and references Icarus flying too close to the sun and crashing down. "Lost my faith in everything," Trent Reznor snarls as we watch Deanna, Reg, and Spencer cry (an odd song to trigger tears, IMO) and Carol prep a tuna casserole to bring to the grieving family. "Broken, bruised, forgotten, sore / Too f--ked up to care anymore," the track continues, perfectly matching the mood of all our main characters (and perhaps explaining why Deanna rebuffs a perfectly good casserole). Whoever's been in charge of the music this season has been bringing their A game. - Carol tells Rick that if her abusive husband, Ed, hadn't been bitten, she wouldn't have survived until now. Rick disagrees, but I think Carol has a point. She really came alive after Ed died (though not for a couple seasons -- remember the search for Sophia? Those were some dark days), and I think that that transformation probably wouldn't have occurred had she remained shackled to that a-hole. - Rick fixates on a red balloon throughout the episode. Symbolism! (Of what, I don't know, though it might be hinting at this.) - While out in the woods with Sasha, we see flashbacks to some of Michonne's finest zombie-killing moments, including the iconic shot from the end of season two, when we got our first glimpse of the mysterious hood-clad woman with two toothless zombies in tow. It was a fond reminder of how much badassery Michonne injected into the series, and hopefully some foreshadowing into her future. That sword's got to come down from above the fireplace eventually, right? - More zombies with "W" carved into their foreheads pop up this week, signaling that whoever is marking them is circling nearby. Aaron and Daryl stumble upon a pile of body parts not unlike what the group found outside of Noah's hometown, leading me once again to suspect that a roving pack of cannibals is responsible. Only this one seems especially sadistic (if we're going to measure cannibalism on a scale of horribleness, anyway), as evidenced by the disemboweled naked woman we see tied to a tree, apparently intentionally left for zombie fodder. Not even Gareth's gang was that cruel. (They let Bob survive to watch them eat his leg, after all.) This group is no doubt getting closer to Alexandria; will they arrive before the season finale is over? - Deanna's catchall solution to Alexandria's problems is exiling people, something she alluded to when Rick's group arrived and she doubled down on when Rick suggested they kill Pete. She told Rick that they could send Pete away, and if Rick didn't like it, they could send Rick away too. She said early on that they've done it before. Light bulb: Perhaps that roving "W" band is made up of those very exiled people, coming back to take their revenge? I love it when a good "Walking Dead" conspiracy theory comes together. - The 90-minute season finale is next week. Let the wild speculating continue until then. Photo credit: Gene Page/AMC This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Full 'Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation' Trailer Is Even Cooler (VIDEO) Posted:  The "Mission: Impossible" franchise has always been one of the best and boldest series in contemporary cinema. Starting with Brian De Palma's still-classic 1997 film, then viewed simply as a high tech makeover of the beloved television show, it has evolved and changed with each new installment, reaching new heights (both literally and metaphorically) with the fourth entry, 2011's "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol." This year sees the arrival of a new film, "Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation" and a brand new, full-length trailer. Yes, yesterday was just a tease. And the full thing is even more delicious.The trailer starts out with Alec Baldwin, as the head of the CIA, murmuring about the outdated nature of the IMF (that's Impossible Mission Forces, the clandestine group at the center of these films). Since he's off camera most of the time, too, his soothing voice makes it seem like the opening narration for "The Royal Tenenbaums:" "The IMF is uniquely trained and highly motivated, specialists without equal, immune to any countermeasures. But it is an agency of chaos. The time has come to dissolve the IMF." So, there you go. Tom Cruise is in trouble! The stakes are high! For the remainder of the trailer, we're given glimpses of the team (including Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner and Ving Rhames from earlier installments) and a new member in a seductive mystery woman (played by Rebecca Ferguson). There are death-defying stunts, capped off by an amazing sequence where Cruise is hanging off the side of a giant airplane (something that he actually did, of course). While we with that the filmmakers could have found room to include Paula Patton's character from the fourth movie, since she added a lovely dynamic to the group, things look pretty solid this time around. What's interesting, too, is that they're folding in an element from the television series called The Syndicate, which in the show was more of a mob-style organization but here is, as the title suggests, a rogue nation of terrorists. The Syndicate is actually mentioned in the last scene of "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" (I watched it again last night, of course), which is also pretty cool. The Syndicate is like the Joker playing card, leading us into this movie. "Mission Impossible Rogue Nation" hits IMAX theaters and regular screens on July 31st. It can't come quickly enough. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The 10 Most Terrifying Deaths in Disney Movies (VIDEO) Posted:  Chills and death?! Yes, these animated movies are for kids. Count down the 10 most terrifying deaths in Disney movies. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The 20 Best Late-Night Talk Show Hosts Ever Posted: Who'd want to be James Corden? The new host of CBS' "The Late Late Show," who takes over the slot vacated by Craig Ferguson, has an unenviable task. Not only does the British comic have to introduce himself to American audiences, he also has to succeed where nearly everyone else who's tried has failed, in the hyper-competitive arena of late-night talk. For all the late-night talk shows launched over the past 60 years, only a tiny handful of hosts have found any success. Many shows vanished without a trace, despite having talented and funny hosts who had succeeded elsewhere.. Does anyone remember that Craig Kilborn hosted "The Daily Show" before Jon Stewart and "The Late Late Show" before Craig Ferguson? Does anyone remember Whoopi Goldberg's show, or Roseanne's, or Joy Behar's, or Zach Galifianakis's? Others do have an impact, but it's the disastrous impact of an asteroid hurtling into the earth. Exhibit A: Chevy Chase's notorious six-week fiasco in 1993, or Rat Packer Joey Bishop's mid-'60s challenge to Johnny Carson, giving him the dubious honor of being the first rival whom Carson would completely steamroller. Maybe Corden can take inspiration from the hosts on this list, those whose innovations have advanced the form, those whose whose brilliance as raconteurs made the guests they conversed with look better, those who never ran out of ways to make us laugh, and those whose sheer longevity made them institutions.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Pretty Woman': 25 Things You Didn't Know About the Julia Roberts Classic Posted: No one expected much from "Pretty Woman" when they were making it. It was a modestly-budgeted romantic comedy whose stars were Richard Gere (then in the depths of a career slump) and Eric Roberts's kid sister. But when the movie was released, 25 years ago this week (on March 23, 1990), the project was transformed from overlooked stepsister to box office royalty. Mirroring her on-screen Cinderella makeover, Julia Roberts went from little-known ingenue to queen of Hollywood. Plus, the film saved Gere's career and (along with 1989's "When Harry Met Sally") revived the romantic comedy genre in Hollywood. A quarter-century later, "Pretty Woman" remains a fan favorite, one you've seen a million times on cable. Even so, there's much you may not know about the movie -- the difficulties in casting (Gere and Roberts weren't anyone's first, second, or third choices), crises on the set, what was left out of the final film, and how the principals reunited for the successful non-sequel "Runaway Bride." Here, then, are the secrets behind "Pretty Woman," many of them divulged by director Garry Marshall in his memoirs "Wake Me When It's Funny" and "My Happy Days in Hollywood." 1. J.F. Lawton's script started out not as a peppy romantic comedy or modern-day Cinderella tale, but as a bleak drama. Edward was a ruthless corporate raider and Vivian a long-time, drug-addicted streetwalker. Part of their week-long arrangement was that Vivian had to stay off cocaine for the duration. The relationship ended with Edward striking Vivian to the ground, throwing the $3,000 at her, and leaving her screaming at him from the gutter where he first found her. The story ended with a scene reminiscent of "Midnight Cowboy," with Vivian and Kit boarding a bus to Disneyland. 2. Disney gave the script to veteran comedy director Marshall to lighten it up. On a scale from 1 to 10, where Neil Jordan's gritty prostitution drama "Mona Lisa" was a 2 and "Cinderella" or "My Fair Lady" was a 10, the studio asked Marshall to turn the script into an 8. Marshall promised a 6 or 7, but with laughs. 3. The first thing that had to go was the title, "Three Thousand." As Marshall recalled, "Test audiences given the premise and the title thought 'Three Thousand' was a movie about prostitutes from the moon who had orgasms in orbit." 4. Five writers were involved in the rewrite process, including Lawton. Softening Vivian's character was easy, Marshall recalled, but only "Big Chill" screenwriter Barbara Benedek (the lone woman among the script doctors) figured out how to soften Edward. She modeled him after Donald Trump but added vulnerability. Benedek also wrote the dental floss scene, as a funny way of revealing that Vivian did not use drugs. 5. Several actresses turned down the role of Vivian. Daryl Hannah felt the part was misogynist. Michelle Pfeiffer (whom Marshall would cast a year later as the lead in "Frankie and Johnny") also disliked the tone of the material. Valeria Golino, fresh off "Top Gun," felt her thick Italian accent wouldn't suit the character. Marshall met with Madonna, but the singer, then 30, felt the part would be better suited to someone under 21. 6. Looking at actresses under 21, Marshall considered Molly Ringwald (then 20), but the "Pretty in Pink" star was uncomfortable with the role's sexual content. He also considered Winona Ryder (17) and Jennifer Connelly (18) but decided both were too young. 7. Producer Steve Reuther suggested 20-year-old Roberts, then known to movie audiences only as one of the three stars of cult hit "Mystic Pizza." Roberts met with Marshall and immediately told him, "I won't be naked." He was charmed. 8. The filmmakers approached Al Pacino to play Edward, but he was too busy. Marshall would soon cast him in the lead in "Frankie and Johnny." Others who read for the role included Sam Neill and Charles Grodin, but it was Gere whose readings with Roberts clicked with chemistry, and whom Marshall deemed sexy enough for the role. 9. Ralph Bellamy, then 85, was cast as James Morse, whose shipbuilding company is the target of Edward's hostile takeover bid. It was to be the final performance of his 63-year career; he died in 1991. 10. Marshall casts Hector Elizondo in every project, considering the actor his good luck charm, but Disney balked at his salary demands for playing hotel manager Bernard Thompson. Marshall paid half of Elizondo's salary out of his own pocket, though Disney reimbursed the director after the studio saw how effective Elizondo was in early footage. 11. Newbie Roberts was uncomfortable with even the limited nudity involved in reclining beneath a layer of soap bubbles in the bathtub. Marshall put her at ease with a prank. During the scene where Vivian ducks underwater and then re-emerges, Marshall had all the crew flee the set, so that when Roberts popped back up, she was alone except for the cameraman. That broke the tension. 12. Still, during the scene where Vivian and Edward are making love (not just having prostitute-client sex), Roberts was so nervous that a bulging vein on her forehead was visible, and she developed a case of hives. Calamine lotion was applied, the breakouts faded, and Roberts completed the shot. 13. No nudity was required of Gere, but one day, he stripped and walked around the set, just to shock the rest of the cast and crew. 14. During one late-night shoot, Roberts fainted on the set. It turned out that all she'd eaten in the past two days was an avocado. Marshall plied her with tuna fish, and the shoot continued. 15. To keep the budget modest (at $14 million), the filmmakers relied on product placement. For the sports car Edward borrows at the beginning of the film (and which Vivian teaches him to drive properly), the production solicited Ferrari and Porsche but were turned down because the manufacturers didn't want to be associated with a movie scene where a john picks up a hooker on the street. Lotus had no such qualms, which is why the scene features an Esprit. 16. Gere bristled at being the straight man to Roberts all the time. "You don't really need me," he complained. "You just need an image of a suit and tie. Why don't I just go home, and you can film my suit?" So the filmmakers wrote him the one-liner in the opera sequence where he covers for Vivian's "peed my pants" remark by saying, "She said she liked it better than 'Pirates of Penzance.'" 17. The scene where Edward snaps the jewelry box shut on Vivian's hand and makes her laugh was unrehearsed. Roberts was groggy from lack of sleep, and Marshall suggested the lid-slam to Gere as a way to snap his co-star back into alertness. It worked so well that Marshall kept Roberts's spontaneous response in the film. She laughed so hard that even the jeweler's security guard, on the set to keep an eye on the loaned $25,000 necklace, laughed too. 18. Roberts's laughter during the scene where she's watching "I Love Lucy" was similarly unrehearsed. Marshall made her guffaw by tickling her feet outside of camera range. 19. Gere composed the tune that Edward plays on the piano in the hotel lounge and performed it himself. 20. To ramp up the amount of fish-out-of-water comedy in the film, Marshall shot a number of scenes where Edward finds himself ill at ease in Vivian's world (namely, the Blue Banana bar). In one of those scenes, Edward is menaced by a skateboard-riding drug dealer, played by the director's son, Scott (cast because his father knew he could skateboard). But Marshall felt the scenes didn't work emotionally and cut them all. 21. The final scene, on the fire escape, had to be shot nine times. Roberts was wearing slippery shoes, and Gere's suit kept getting dirty as he climbed. Plus, there was opera music to blast and pigeons to wrangle. Still, on the final take, Marshall knew he'd gotten the ending right when one of the policemen hired to keep traffic away from the shot began to mist up. 22. The film earned $178 million in North America and another $285 million overseas, for a total of $463 million. 23. The soundtrack album was a smash, too, going triple platinum (that is, selling at least 3 million copies). It spawned such hits as Roxette's ballad "It Must Have Been Love" (which topped the Billboard chart that June), Natalie Cole's "Wild Women Do," Go West's "King of Wishful Thinking," and Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Show Me Your Soul." It also included Roy Orbison's 1964 chestnut "Oh, Pretty Woman," for which the film is named. 24. Roberts was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. It was the only Academy Award nomination the movie received. 25. After the film's success, it seemed everyone wanted a sequel. The Buddhist Gere told Marshall that he'd been in a cave in Tibet when a monk asked him, "When are you going to make 'Pretty Woman 2'?" It was at that moment that Gere said he decided that he, Roberts, and Marshall should reunite for whatever script they could find that worked, rather than wait for a writer to craft a viable "Pretty Woman" sequel. He and Roberts found the "Runaway Bride" script and approached Marshall with it, leading to the team's successful reunion with the 1999 romantic comedy.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Insurgent' vs. 'The Gunman' Proves Box Office Is No Country for Old Men Posted:  It's hard to feel sorry for Sean Penn, but after "The Gunman," which he starred in and produced, got whacked this weekend by "The Divergent Series: Insurgent," maybe a little sympathy is in order. Then again, maybe he's just one more aging male movie star this winter -- after Will Smith, Vince Vaughn, and Liam Neeson -- who's run up against the hard fact that girls and young women are the driving forces behind the box office so far in 2015."Insurgent's" success should have been a surprise to no one. It opened with an estimated $54.0 million, only about $600,000 less than the original "Divergent" opened with on this same weekend a year ago. Since the first film, "Insurgent" stars Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, and Miles Teller have become bigger draws. Plus, the new movie has a 3D ticket surcharge that the first one didn't. Even if it didn't reach the upper 50s like many pundits were predicting, it was clear that the movie was going to dominate the box office this weekend, to the detriment of every other movie. It used to be considered a smart strategy to counterprogram against anticipated blockbusters by offering a film that played to the diagonally opposite quadrant. In this case, "The Gunman" would seem to be a draw for older men, the group least likely to be attending a movie like "Insurgent" that's aimed at girls and young women. Even so, expectations for "The Gunman" were modest -- no one seemed to think it would open higher than about $8 million. And still, the movie's estimated $5.0 million debut (opening in fourth place) didn't even reach that low bar. The fate of the Sean Penn action thriller -- directed by Pierre Morel, the same filmmaker who made Liam Neeson's first "Taken" -- echoes that of Neeson's "Run All Night" last week. That action thriller was seen as smart counterprogramming against Disney's "Cinderella." But girls and young women bought $67.9 million worth of tickets to the live-action fairy tale, while Neeson's crime drama sold just $11.0 million worth. A week later, "Cinderella" has grossed a total of $122.0 million, compared to just $19.7 million for "Run All Night." Sure, you could argue that Penn's movie is a special case. For one thing, Penn has never been a box office draw. The two-time Oscar winner has certainly never been seen as an action star, so "The Gunman" is a genre gamble for him. Moreover, it was foolish to open it so soon after "Run All Night." Then again, you could argue that it was equally foolish to open "Cinderella" and "Insurgent" just a week apart, and yet neither of them is having trouble selling tickets. And these movies don't follow too far on the heels of "Fifty Shades of Grey," which has earned $163.8 million in six weeks and is the top-grossing movie of 2015 so far. Hollywood likes to treat movies starring or aimed at women as flukes when they're successful, but how many flukes have to happen in a row before they're the rule, not the exception? So far this year, women have done most of the muscle-flexing at the box office, while once-reliable box-office leading men like Smith, Vaughn, and Neeson have faltered. That doesn't mean action thrillers, especially those driven by older men, can't succeed in the current landscape. "Kingsman: The Secret Service," featuring Samuel L. Jackson and unlikely action hero Colin Firth, opened the same day as "Fifty Shades" and has earned $114.6 million to date. This weekend, it was still in the top five, in fifth place, while "Fifty Shades" fell to No. 14. But "Kingsman" was also a surprising, even shocking piece of filmmaking. It certainly appeared fresher and more original than Penn's "Gunman," Smith's "Focus," Vaughn's "Unfinished Business," or Neeson's "Run All Night" and "Taken 3" (his January 2015 disappointment). If you can't muster up that kind of originality in your action thriller, you can at least find an action protagonist with a fresh face, one that makes action heroics palatable to an audience that doesn't usually patronize action thrillers. Which is why the most credible action butt-kicker currently in theaters is Shailene Woodley. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Recap of 'Revenge' Season 4 Episode 17: Loss Posted:  Still recovering from Jack Porter getting a DUI during last week's episode of "Revenge"? The feeling is mutual, but we have some good news: Emily Thorne is here to save the day (and hopefully encourage Jack to stop staring woefully at sea glass in his free time). This professional revenger is out for blood now that Margaux LeMarchal has messed with her childhood sweetheart, but let's just say things don't go according to plan.... Unless the plan is utter and complete devastation, that is. Jack Gets A Social Worker, Nolan Gets A Date It's somewhat ironic to see Jack in prison considering that he was a policeman about five minutes ago (his life is literally the most depressing thing ever), and as you might expect he's devastated. Fortunately, Em flies in Jack's lawyer mother who gets him out of the slammer -- and thank God because apparently poor Baby Carl has been hanging with Known Murderer David Clarke. So worried. The bad news is that Jack's appointed a social worker, and this newcomer is basically like a) you're letting your child hang with a terrorist, and b) said child's daycare center is at a bar. Both true statements, but Jack is a great father -- something Nolan convinces the social worker over a drink. New couple alert! So, what about those pesky felony charges? Well, Emily breaks into the home of Margaux's henchman and gets her hands on Jack's stolen blood sample -- but his mom is held in contempt when she tries to use it in court. You guessed it: the judge presiding over Jack's case is in Margaux's pocket, but Em easily solves the problem by getting Ben to pull her over for a faux DUI and some casual blackmail. Looks like Jack is a free man! Sigh, you've done it again, Emily Thorne / Amanda Clarke. Victoria Gets Cozy with Margaux, Is Doting Grandmother-To-Be Wondering what Queen Victoria is up to now that she's reclaimed her throne? Obsessing over her dearly departed son, the Misunderstood Poet / Wearer of Cowl Necks known as Daniel Grayson, that's what. This Hamptons' party-starter is devastated when a hospital board votes down her offer to donate a new wing in Daniel's name, and after accusing Emily of being the the voice of opposition, she finds out that it's actually Margaux who voted down her proposal. Turns out Margaux didn't want to reveal her pregnancy to the world while Daniel's name was tainted, but she and Victoria make amends over some baby gifts, and Margaux even agrees to change her vote! Looks like these two are officially on the same team -- let's hope they're ready for a game of doubles with Emily and Nolan! Louise Reveals The Truth, Margaux Experiences A Loss Remember how Louise kinda-sorta-maybe killed her brother by refusing to help him when he fell off a cliff? Yeah, well she left his body to rot on the beach, and now Officer Ben Hunter is getting his investigation on. Louise doesn't tell Ben the truth -- but she does tell Nolan what really happened to Lyman, and he encourages her to keep it hush-hush. Huh. Sounds like the worst plan ever, to be honest. Of course we can't forget that Lyman was working for Margaux, and this media mogul thinks Emily had a hand in his death. Margaux's so distraught that she refuses a truce when Emily shows up outside the LeMarchal offices to fork over a copy of her real birth certificate, and if that's not upsetting enough, she up and gets hit by a cab. Sadly, Margaux loses her baby and her sanity all in one fell swoop, because yes, she lies and claims Emily pushed her. And it looks like Victoria believes every word! And now, some burning questions.... 1. Are Jack and Emily going to get together? There wasn't too much going on between them this week, which was somewhat disappointing. 2. Looks like Nolan has a new love interest -- but how will his wife feel? 3. Speaking of Louise, it's only a matter of time before Officer Hunter finds out she had a hand in Lyman's death. Is she going to end up in jail? 4. How will Margaux and Victoria get revenge on Emily? This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Moviefone Blog To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments:
Post a Comment