Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- Emmys 2015: Who Will Win Best Actress in a Drama?
- Disney Is Making a New 'Mary Poppins' Musical
- Emma Watson Joins a Cult to Save Her Man in the 'Colonia' Trailer
- 13 Stars Who Have Been Nominated for Emmys Twice in the Same Year
- It's Official: Rachel McAdams Confirms 'Doctor Strange' Role (But No Character Name Yet)
- 'Game of Thrones' Sequel 'Winds of Winter' May Come in 2016
- 7 Movie Moments That Made Us Pee Our Pants
- What's New on TV, Netflix, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: September 14-20
- Arnold Schwarzenegger Replaces Trump as Host of 'Celebrity Apprentice'
- Adrian Grenier Angers Fans With Now Deleted 9/11 Post
- Tom Hardy Shuts Down Question About His Sexuality in Awkward 'Legend' Interview
- Nicolas Cage's Son Goes Missing on Halloween in 'Pay the Ghost' Trailer
- 'Minions' Just Broke Two More Major Box Office Records
- Nick Carter Given Best Odds to Win 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 21
- Eddie Redmayne: 'The Stakes Are High' For 'Harry Potter' Prequel
- Miss America Apologizes to Vanessa Williams 32 Years After Nude Photo Scandal
- 'Goodfellas': 25 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Scorsese's Masterpiece
| Emmys 2015: Who Will Win Best Actress in a Drama? Posted: The 2015 Emmy Awards are almost here, so to get you prepared for TV's biggest night Moviefone will be revealing a countdown of editor predictions for the major categories leading up to September 20th's broadcast. Today's category is quite the toughie: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama. The nominees are (drumroll...): Claire Danes, "Homeland" Viola Davis, "How to Get Away With Murder" Taraji P. Henson, "Empire" Tatiana Maslany, "Orphan Black" Elisabeth Moss, "Mad Men" Robin Wright, "House of Cards" Find out who our staff thinks will win, and more importantly, who we think should win by flipping through the gallery, above.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Disney Is Making a New 'Mary Poppins' Musical Posted:  "Mary Poppins" is coming back to the big screen: Disney is working on a new, original musical starring its classic magical nanny.Entertainment Weekly reports that the film is already moving through the development stages, with director Rob Marshall ("Chicago," "Into the Woods") at the helm. Marshall will re-team with his "Into the Woods" producers John DeLuca and Marc Platt for the project, which is set to be a new musical adventure featuring the Poppins character -- and not a direct sequel to the famous 1964 version. Per EW: The 2013 flick "Saving Mr. Banks," which chronicled Walt Disney's attempts to get Travers to agree to let the studio adapt her books, famously depicted a rough-around-the-edges Travers who bristled at the thought of her character being featured in a musical. But according to EW, Marshall and co. are collaborating with the late author's estate on this new project, so perhaps it will take a slightly darker tone than the original "Poppins" portrayed. Songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman ("Hairspray," "Smash") are already on board to pen some new tunes, while screenwriter David Magee ("Finding Neverland," "Life of Pi") will tackle the script. It's unclear if any iconic "Poppins" tunes like "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" will make their way into this new project (and whether Andrews or costar Dick Van Dyke will cameo). Messing with a beloved property like "Poppins" is always tricky, but if filmmakers can leave well enough alone with the original and forge a new direction with this follow-up feature, we're willing to remain (very) cautiously optimistic for now. Stay tuned. [via: Entertainment Weekly] Photo credit: KPA/PA ARCHIVE IMAGES This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Emma Watson Joins a Cult to Save Her Man in the 'Colonia' Trailer Posted:  What lengths would you go to for love? That's the question facing Lena (Emma Watson) in "Colonia," which tells the story of a young German couple caught up in the military coup in Chile in 1973.It turns out that Lena is willing to do just about anything to save her boyfriend, Daniel (Daniel Bruhl), an artist working for President Salvador Allende who is captured by the forces of General Augusto Pinochet. Daniel is sent to the Colonia Dignidad ("Dignity Colony"), a remote agricultural community which houses a cult led by Paul Schäfer (Michael Nyqvist); desperate to get him back, Lena travels to Colonia to infiltrate its ranks and rescue Daniel at any cost. It seems like a crazy idea, and Lena soon learns that Schäfer's hold on the community -- particularly its women -- is an oppressive one, characterized by brutal manual labor and vicious mental interrogations. As we see in the trailer, he and Lena have an intense face-off in which he cruelly teases the young woman about her devotion to the organization, and dangles her freedom in front of her while questioning if she made the right decision to join. Can she withstand Schäfer's sadism in order to save Daniel -- and herself? We'll find out when "Colonia" hits theaters in October. Watch the trailer Photo credit: YouTube This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 13 Stars Who Have Been Nominated for Emmys Twice in the Same Year Posted: One Emmy nomination is nice and all, but if you get two nominations you (and your agent) are definitely doing something right. Actors and actresses get nominated for more than one Emmy in a the same year more than you probably notice -- there are 5 double acting nominees just in 2015 alone. Who has had the honor of being up for two acting credits in the same year? Here are 13 stars who can call themselves double Emmy nominees.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| It's Official: Rachel McAdams Confirms 'Doctor Strange' Role (But No Character Name Yet) Posted:  After months of speculation, Rachel McAdams has finally made her involvement in Marvel's upcoming "Doctor Strange" flick official.While appearing at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday, McAdams confirmed to TheWrap that she will indeed be starring in the flick. The site did not offer any additional details about McAdams's role, though judging by Marvel's penchant for secrecy in the past, it's hardly surprising that McAdams wouldn't reveal too much about her character just yet. Still, her involvement in "Strange" had been rumored since early July, and the actress herself spilled the beans about her negotiations for the flick in an interview later that month. While we were hoping for a bit more intel from the chatty star at this point, it's still at least nice to know that she has officially joined the Marvel family. Screen Rant has some speculation about who she might play, and it boils down to two key love interests. The site breaks down the two characters as follows: We'll have to wait for official word from Marvel before we know for sure, but we're excited to see her go toe-to-toe with titular star Benedict Cumberbatch. "Doctor Strange" is due in theaters on November 4, 2016. [via: TheWrap, Screen Rant] Photo credit: Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Game of Thrones' Sequel 'Winds of Winter' May Come in 2016 Posted: Alejo Cuervo, an editor for the Spanish publisher of the "Song of Ice and Fire" books, said during a recent interview with Catalan radio station El Mon a RAC1 that he knows, roughly, when the book will be published -- and in fact, it's due out next year. The interview has been translated into English by "Thrones" fan site Watchers on the Wall (who found it on Spanish "GOT" fan site Los Siete Reinos); here's their transcript of the key intel from Cuervo:
Watchers on the Wall notes that Cuervo knows Martin personally, so his information on the subject is probably the most accurate of anyone's. (Especially considering he has to translate and prep his own publication of "Winter"'s text.) So while it's far from a confirmation, nor a personal voucher from Martin himself, it is certainly more believable than if it were to come from another source. As most fans know, "Thrones" is rapidly catching up to the all the plot lines from Martin's previously-published books, and will soon start airing stories from the two remaining tomes that have yet to be finished ("Winter" and "A Dream of Spring"). But if Martin is indeed planning on publishing "Winds of Winter" in 2016, and in fact wants to have it out before "Game of Thrones" debuts its sixth season in spring 2016, then that would be ideal for fans of the books and series alike. We'll keep our fingers crossed, though as Cuervo notes, there's always the possibility of a meteor. Stay tuned. [via: Watchers on the Wall] Photo credit: Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 7 Movie Moments That Made Us Pee Our Pants Posted:  There are plenty of movies that make us laugh, but it takes a special scene to make us laugh so hard that we feel like we may die. Here are the seven movie moments that are so funny we nearly pee ourselves.This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| What's New on TV, Netflix, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: September 14-20 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 "Cinderella" Watch "Downton Abbey" star Lily James rock that iconic glass slipper in Disney's live action version of the classic fairy tale, which is out on Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD combo back on September 15. Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, and Helena Bonham-Carter co-star in the family favorite, directed by Kenneth Branagh. Bonus features include "A Fairy Tale Comes to Life," "Costume Test Fun," "Staging The Ball," "Ella's Furry Friends," "Ella's Childhood," an alternate opening, and the Disney short "Frozen Fever." "Furious 7" Take one last ride with Paul Walker and company when the blockbuster finally arrives on DVD and Blu-ray on September 15. The Blu-ray has tons of extras, including all-new extended edition of the movie, plus more than 90 minutes of exclusive bonus features, including deleted scenes, "Talking Fast," "Back to the Starting Line," "Flying Cars," "Snatch and Grab," "Tower Jumps," "Inside the Fight," "The Cars of Furious," "Race Wars," the "See You Again" Official Music Video, and "Making of Fast & Furious Supercharged Ride." Here's a cool cars clip: "Love & Mercy" Paul Dano and John Cusack play Brian Wilson, the brilliant leader of The Beach Boys, in this biopic following his music success and mental health struggle in the 1960s and '80s. Blu-ray features include "A California Story: Creating the Look of Love & Mercy," "A-Side/B-Side: Portraying the Life of Brian Wilson," deleted scenes, and audio commentary with director/producer Bill Pohlad and executive producer/co-writer Oren Moverman. New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only "The Mindy Project" Mindy Kaling's FOX show was saved from an early death (huzzah!) and will launch Season 4 on Hulu on September 15. According to the L.A. Times, the Season 4 premiere pays homage to the Gwyneth Paltrow movie "Sliding Doors," exploring what it'd be like if Mindy had never fallen for Danny. Instead, they note, Mindy finds herself in bed with a "Real Housewives" reality producer played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. (Not a bad alternate reality...) When Mindy visits Danny she finds he's dating Freida Pinto. Check out the Season 4 trailer: "Cooties" Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson and Alison Pill star in this horror comedy from the creators of "Saw" and "Glee" (interesting combo...). When a cafeteria food virus turns elementary school children into killer zombies, a group of misfit teachers must band together to escape the playground carnage. "Cooties" is out in select theaters, On Demand, and on iTunes on September 18. "Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List" Victoria Justice and Pierson Fodé star in this coming of age story based on the novel by the authors of "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist." It's available exclusively on iTunes on September 18. The story follows Naomi and Ely, two lifelong best friends who have been in love with each other their whole lives, even though Ely isn't exactly into girls. The institution of a "No Kiss List" has prevented the two from rifts in the past, but their bond is tested when they both fall for the same guy. New on Netflix "Keith Richards: Under the Influence" This Netflix original documentary, out September 18, gives fans intimate access to the now 71-year-old Rolling Stone legend, following his life story, musical influences, and candid thoughts on aging. "The Blacklist" You can binge-watch Season 2 of NBC's popular crime drama on Netflix starting September 15. Catch up before Red (James Spader) returns for 22 more episodes in Season 3, which premieres October 1. "The Bank Job" Jason Statham and Saffron Burrows star in this 2008 London-set bank heist thriller, which arrives on Netflix on September 14.  TV Worth Watching"67th Primetime Emmy Awards" (Sunday on FOX at 8 p.m.) The Emmys are here! Andy Samberg hosts TV's most coveted awards show, which will *probably* feature big wins for the final season of "Mad Men." Here are all the 2015 nominees. "Dancing With the Stars" (Monday on ABC at 8 p.m.) Get your voting paddles ready, 'cause DWTS Season 21 starts September 14. There are 13 couples this season and it's a pretty interesting lineup. You should at least watch the premiere to see if Paula Deen or Gary Busey will be The One Who Drives Everyone Crazy. It could go either way at this point. "South Park" (Wednesday on Comedy Central at 10 p.m.) Go on down to South Park for the 19th time as fresh episodes from Cartman and non-friends hit Comedy Central on September 16. This impressive, and always timely, show will keep going at least through 2019, which will push it over the 300-episode mark. "Doctor Who" (Saturday on BBC America at 9 p.m.) Season 9 -- the second season following Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor and the third with Jenna Coleman as Clara -- starts September 19. The premiere, "The Magician's Apprentice," is the first of a two-parter, and it will be followed by "The Witch's Familiar." Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Arnold Schwarzenegger Replaces Trump as Host of 'Celebrity Apprentice' Posted: NBC announced the hiring news on Monday, with no details on who might replace Trump's ever-present family members in the boardroom. (Will they stay?) Instead, The Powers That Be just shared statements (via Entertainment Weekly) with excitement about a Trump-free future. Arnold Schwarzenegger: "I have always been a huge fan of The Celebrity Apprentice and the way it showcases the challenges and triumphs of business and teamwork. I am thrilled to bring my experience to the boardroom and to continue to raise millions for charity. Let's get started!" Mark Burnett: "After leaving the show to run for political office, Donald made it clear that he wanted The Celebrity Apprentice to be able to continue to raise millions of dollars annually for worthy causes, and now NBC and I have found an amazing new leader to do just that. Gov. Schwarzenegger will use his vast and highly successful business, political and media experience to drive this hit franchise to new heights." Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC Entertainment: "We are thrilled to be opening a powerful new chapter in the story of the Apprentice franchise. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the epitome of a global brand in entertainment and business, and his accomplishments in the political arena speak for themselves. It was Arnold's personal passion for the format that Mark Burnett and Donald Trump built over the last decade, as well as his fresh take on how to take it to new heights for today's audiences, that made him the man to hire. The Celebrity Apprentice ... will be back!" As EW noted, the show will return for the 2016-2017 season with Ahhhhnold as "CEO." What do you think, is this good news? Trump might actually get jealous... Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Adrian Grenier Angers Fans With Now Deleted 9/11 Post Posted:  The Internet is still lashing out at "Entourage" star Adrian Grenier for the tribute he posted on social media on Friday, September 11.In the now-deleted Instagram post, Grenier wrote, "R.I.P. the 2,996 Americans who died in 9/11. R.I.P. the 1,455,590 innocent Iraqis who died during the U.S. invasion for something they didn't do." This struck some readers as "disrespectful" and "classless," although others agreed with his sentiment and debated attackers in the comments. Grenier deleted the original post -- keeping up his other, less controversial 9/11 tributes -- which upset some of the people who respected his defense of the innocent Iraqis and did nothing to stop the people who were already outraged. For example, here are some comments -- posted with another photo -- that seem to be about the deleted image: Wow. Well, at least it's sparking a debate. Extreme reactions, like these, can cause a chilling effect where people no longer share their opinions, which is kinda sad when this country is all about free speech. But free speech goes both ways, and at least Grenier got a few people to exercise that right on an important day. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Tom Hardy Shuts Down Question About His Sexuality in Awkward 'Legend' Interview Posted: You can watch their full press conference in the video here: Things got really awkward around the 28:25 mark when a reporter from the LGBT site Daily Xtra asked about Hardy's sexuality, in reference to the character of Ronnie Kray being bisexual. Reporter: "In the film, your character Ronnie is very open about his sexuality, but given interviews you've done in the past, your own sexuality seems a bit more ambiguous. Do you find it hard for celebrities to talk to media about their sexuality?" Hardy: "What on earth are you on about?" There was some laughter in the group, not really awkward yet, but it would get there. Reporter: "I was referring to an interview given to Attitude magazine a few years ago." For context, Gawker pulled up that 2008 interview, when Hardy was asked if he'd ever had sex with other guys. Hardy was quoted to say, "Of course I have. I've played with everything and everyone. But I'm not into men sexually. I love the form and the physicality but the gay sex bit does nothing for me." However, in a 2011 Marie Claire UK interview, he said his words in that previous talk were "misconstrued" and he was irritated that they were taken out of context to mean more than he intended. Back to the TIFF interview. Hardy: "But what is your question?" Reporter: "I was wondering if you find it difficult for celebrities to talk about their sexuality?" Hardy: "I don't find it difficult for celebrities to talk about their sexuality. Um, are you asking me about my sexuality?" Reporter: "Um...sure." Hardy: "Why?" Reporter: "Um." Hardy: "Thank you." Reporter: "OK." "Thank you" is the new Miranda Priestly "That's all." Hardy is an intimidating guy, but the "why" of the reporter's question was probably tied to his outlet and the film's subject matter, so it's not completely irrelevant. But sexuality is very personal and Hardy made it clear he was not interested in going down that road -- maybe because, obviously, his private life is private, or possibly because he's been burned before by people twisting his words. Either way, you don't get cast as two gangsters in a movie called "Legend" if you don't know how to shut down an unwelcome question. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Nicolas Cage's Son Goes Missing on Halloween in 'Pay the Ghost' Trailer Posted:  Don't lose your child on Halloween -- or any other day, but apparently 10/31 is just an especially bad time for that kind of thing. Nicolas Cage and Sarah Wayne Callies (aka Lori on "The Walking Dead") play desperate parents in the horror movie "Pay the Ghost." The creepy first trailer was just released, along with the tease, "Every Halloween, evil walks among us." Cue Cage and his son walking together, in costume, at a carnival. Nicolas' son goes missing for a moment, then returns to ask if his dad paid the ghost. (He's like an undead collections agent.) Then he goes missing again.Dad: "All I had to do was protect him. Isn't that what a father does - protects?" This launches Cage's quest to find his own son, plus the other kids who've been taken/gone missing on Halloween. Here's the trailer: Rick Grimes would never let this happen to Carl. Just saying. "Pay the Ghost" is coming out next week on September 25. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Minions' Just Broke Two More Major Box Office Records Posted:  They're taking over the world!When "Minions" was first released in the U.S., it made headlines with the second biggest opening for an animated movie, just ahead of "Toy Story 3." Then it became the third animated movie in history to hit $1 billion, after "Toy Story 3" and "Frozen." Now it has surpassed "Toy Story 3" once again by becoming the second biggest animated movie of all time. (Poor Woody and Buzz can't catch a break.) The latest milestone comes courtesy of ... China! That's the other record it broke. According to Deadline, "Minions" just opened to $20.1 million (125Myuan) in China, which is the biggest opening day for an animated movie in that country. To earn that honor, "Minions" dethroned "Kung Fu Panda 2" with about 50 percent more intake . As Deadline noted: That "today" was September 13. "Frozen" is still No. 1, overall, with $1.274 billion. And "Inside Out" has yet to open in China (it's coming October 6), so we'll have to see how well that does and where it ends up on the international list. For now, congrats (again) to "Minions" on achieving world domination. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Nick Carter Given Best Odds to Win 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 21 Posted:  "Dancing With the Stars" Season 21 starts tonight (Monday, September 14) at 8 p.m. on ABC. Several weeks from now, in late November, one of the 13 crazy couples will be name the new Mirror Ball champions. Who will get the Fall 2015 trophy? Online betting site Bovada gave the best odds to former Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter, who is paired with pro dancer Sharna Burgess.It's not a bad pre-season pick. Nick, now 35, has name recognition, looks, probable talent, and enough mass appeal to potentially draw votes across age groups. Plus, Sharna is a very popular pro who has yet to win a trophy. It feels like this might be her time. Here are the odds from Bovada: Nick Carter +275 Alexa PenaVega + 300 Carlos PenaVega +600 Tamar Braxton +650 Bindi Irwin +700 Alek Skarlatos +1000 Andy Grammer +1200 Chaka Khan +1600 Hayes Grier +1600 Victor Espinoza +1600 Kim Zolciak Biermann + 2500 Gary Busey +3300 Paula Deen +3300 What do you think of these odds? As you can see, they tied Gary Busey and Paula Deen as the underdogs of the season. The oddsmakers are only occasionally accurate in picking DWTS winners, partly because they never seem to take a huge factor into consideration: the pro dancers. For example, Bindi Irwin is paired with five-time champion Derek Hough, who usually makes the finals and hasn't placed lower than fourth since Season 8. Who is your pick to win DWTS Season 21 and why? Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Eddie Redmayne: 'The Stakes Are High' For 'Harry Potter' Prequel Posted:  Eddie Redmayne is on the streak of a lifetime. He just won an Oscar for "The Theory of Everything," he's now promoting "The Danish Girl" (which may win him another trophy), and he'll soon star in the "Harry Potter" prequel "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."Eddie plays Newt Scamander in the adaptation of J.K. Rowling's novel, which is set 70 years before the Harry Potter books/movies. While at the Toronto Film Festival, Eddie talked to E! News about wanting to live up to the standard of the Potter franchise: J.K. Rowling wrote the script for "Fantastic Beasts," which is being directed by Harry Potter film veteran David Yates. In addition to Eddie Redmayne, the cast also includes Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller, Jenn Murray, and Faith Wood-Blagrove. Filming started on August 17 and it's scheduled to be released on November 18, 2016. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Miss America Apologizes to Vanessa Williams 32 Years After Nude Photo Scandal Posted:  Better late than never? Back in 1983, Vanessa L. Williams was the first African-American woman to win Miss America. However, just a couple of months before the end of her reign, Vanessa was forced to resign when Penthouse magazine obtained unauthorized nude photos of her and revealed plans to publish the images.After the scandal, Vanessa's career as a singer and actress still flourished -- more than most, if not all, Miss America contestants -- and last night at the 2016 Miss America pageant, Vanessa finally got an apology from the organization that took away her crown. Vanessa, now 52, was the head judge of the September 13 pageant, and during the show, pageant CEO Sam Haskell offered a formal apology: Plenty of things were said and done but it's good that Vanessa got an apology, even 32 years after the fact, for being blamed when photos taken before her pageant days were published without her consent. Playboy actually passed on the spread. As Vanity Fair noted, "In fact, Hugh Hefner became one of Williams' most staunch defenders saying, 'The single victim in all of this was the young woman herself, whose right to make this decision was taken away from her. If she wanted to make this kind of statement, that would be her business, but the statement wasn't made by her.'" With the past in the past, Vanessa joined the team that helped choose 21-year-old Betty Cantrell of Georgia as the new Miss America. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Goodfellas': 25 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Scorsese's Masterpiece Posted:  "I want people to get infuriated by it," Martin Scorsese said of his initial impulse in making "Goodfellas." "I wanted to seduce everyone into the movie and into the style. And then just take them apart with it."In fact, some people were appalled and repulsed at the early screenings of "Goodfellas," which opened 25 years ago this week (on Sept. 19, 1990). At one test preview, there were mass walkouts within the first 10 minutes. But Scorsese's angry gesture soon backfired. Viewers did get seduced by the lowlife mobsters (taken from Nicholas Pileggi's 1985 true-crime book "Wiseguy") and the director's own adrenalized filmmaking style. Instead of an assault on the audience, "Goodfellas" became one of the most influential and beloved movies of the past quarter century. In honor of "Goodfellas" turning 25 this week, here are 25 things you need to know about Scorsese's masterpiece. Don't let that red sauce burn on the stove while you're reading.  1. The real Henry Hill was an associate of the Lucchese crime family, who later went into the federal witness protection program in 1980. Pileggi's interviews with Hill made up the bulk of "Wiseguy." He earned a reported $480,000 as a consultant on the film, whose details he would later praise as 90 percent accurate.2. Unlike the character portrayed by Ray Liotta, who witnesses several murders but never kills anyone himself, Hill admitted to Howard Stern that he had murdered three people on orders from Paul Vario, the real-life model for Paulie Cicero. 3. The real Tommy De Vito (as played by Joe Pesci) was named Tommy "Two Gun" DeSimone. Unlike the diminutive Pesci, DeSimone was over six feet tall and built like a heavyweight boxer. In the film, he's whacked for his own unauthorized whacking of made man William "Billy Batts" Bentvena, but in real life, Batts wasn't the only mafioso that Tommy killed without permission. He also killed Ronald "Foxy" Jerothe. Both victims were associates of John Gotti, future boss of the rival Gambino family. 4. Paul Vario (renamed Paulie Cicero in "Goodfellas" and played by Paul Sorvino) was the real-life boss of the crew that included Hill, Burke, and DeSimone. Hill claimed that Vario had an affair with his wife, Kare,n (played by Lorraine Bracco) while Hill was in prison, though the movie doesn't mention it. Vario died in prison in 1988. 5. Scorsese phoned Pileggi's office to talk about optioning the film rights to "Wiseguy," but when the author saw a message that said, "Call Martin Scorsese," he thought it was a joke and didn't follow up. But the filmmaker called back and said, "I've been looking for this book for years." Pileggi replied, "I've been waiting for this phone call all my life."  6. Marlon Brando almost talked Scorsese (pictured, right) out of making "Goodfellas," saying the director would just be repeating what he'd done in "Mean Streets" and "Raging Bull." But Scorsese's longtime editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, read Pileggi's tale to her husband, legendary British film director Michael Powell. Convinced that the story offered a fresh, funny take on the gangster genre, Powell told Scorsese, "You must do it," and changed Scorsese's mind.7. Scorsese and Pileggi changed the movie's title from "Wiseguy" to "Goodfellas" to avoid confusion with CBS' then-current mob drama series "Wiseguy." 8. For the sake of authenticity, Ray Liotta turned to tapes of the FBI's conversations with Hill. The actor would listen to them in his car and mimic Hill's speech patterns as he drove to and from the set. 9. De Niro also relied on Hill for authenticity, going through the FBI to contact their protected witness and quiz Hill about the way Jimmy would hold a cigarette or a shot glass. Sometimes he'd call Hill several times in a day. Scorsese, however, has said he spoke to Hill only once, when the film was nearly finished. 10. Scorsese often cast his parents in cameos in his movies, but in "Goodfellas," he really put them to work. His mom plays Tommy's mom, and his dad plays a mobster (he can be seen cooking sauce in the prison-dinner sequence). But Scorsese also had his parents starch the extraordinarily pointy shirt collars the mobsters wear; he didn't trust anyone else to do the job right. The senior Scorseses also cooked that stockpot of red sauce that Henry spends all day simmering near the end of the movie.  11. The notorious "Funny how?" sequence (pictured above) was improvised by Pesci and Liotta, based on a conversation Pesci had once had with someone Scorsese characterized as "a dangerous man." This time, Pesci got to be the dangerous man. He improvised the lines in rehearsal, Scorsese had them transcribed, and the actors memorized them before the cameras rolled.12. The celebrated Steadicam tracking shot through the bowels of the Copacabana was inspired by just a sentence in Pileggi's book noting that, when Hill would visit the famous nightclub, he'd enter through the kitchen. Scorsese and cinematographer Michael Ballhaus turned Henry and Karen's arrival for a show at the club into a mini-epic -- one of the most famous oners in movie history. The director insisted on getting the entire shot in one take. Ballhaus said it took eight tries, but they got it, and it didn't even take up a full day of shooting. 13. Hill claimed that Tommy's near-lethal pistol-whipping of Billy Batts was fairly accurate, except that in real life, DeSimone hit him so hard that he broke the gun. 14. During the sequence where Tommy fatally empties his .45 into Spider (Michael Imperioli), poor Imperioli stumbled backward into the bar so forcefully that he slashed his hand on a glass pitcher and had to be taken to the emergency room to have the wound stitched up. 15. Edward McDonald, the prosecutor who talked Hill into turning state's evidence, had the guts to suggest to Scorsese that he should play himself in the movie. After giving McDonald a screen test, Scorsese agreed.  16. Schoonmaker has said that she and Scorsese especially enjoyed putting together the lengthy montage that makes up Henry's last day as a wiseguy (above) because they made a point of experimenting and violating every rule of classical editing in order to simulate the jagged, out-of-control rhythms of Henry's cocaine-fueled paranoia. Test audiences found the sequence irritating, prompting Schoonmaker and Scorsese to make the sequence even faster and edgier.17. The ratings board initially deemed the film too violent for an R rating. Scorsese had to trim bloodletting from 10 scenes before the board relented. 18. The 1978 Lufthansa heist, as depicted in the movie, was indeed the largest-value robbery in American history up to that point, netting $5 million in cash and nearly a million more in jewelry. As in the film, law enforcement suspected Jimmy's crew almost immediately, leading him to have most of the co-conspirators killed. The biggest break in the case didn't come until 2014 with the arrest of Vincent Asaro, then 78, a former Gambino soldier and alleged co-conspirator (though Hill claimed Asaro wasn't involved).The loot has never been found. 19. Henry, at the end of the movie, may have complained about having to live the rest of his life as an ordinary schnook, but it didn't work out that way. He, Karen and their son and daughter were placed in new identities and new homes in various cities, from Omaha to Seattle. But Hill kept blabbing about his real identity to his neighbors and kept getting arrested on drug charges. Eventually, the FBI booted the Hill family from the program. After 25 years of marriage, Henry and Karen were divorced in 1989. 20. A year later, of course, "Goodfellas" made him famous. Hill would go on to tell his own story in books, a website, and various radio interviews with Stern. He marketed his spaghetti sauce online and opened a restaurant called Wiseguys in Connecticut. After he appeared alongside Liotta in an Entertainment Weekly photo shoot in 2006, the actor persuaded him to enter rehab. In 2012, he succumbed to complications from heart disease. He died peacefully at 69 in a Los Angeles hospital bed, surrounded by family.  21. Unlike Henry, Karen Hill and the couple's children, Gregg and Gina, have maintained assumed identities and kept a relatively low profile. Gregg and Gina did publish a memoir of their own, 2004's "On the Run: A Mafia Childhood."22. Pileggi's wife, Nora Ephron, wrote her own movie inspired by Henry Hill, "My Blue Heaven." It was a comedy about a flamboyant mobster (Steve Martin) struggling with suburban life while in Witness Protection. It actually came out in theaters a month before "Goodfellas." 23. In the years after "Goodfellas," Sorvino would often appear on TV cooking shows, demonstrating that he was an expert at cutting paper-thin slices of garlic with a razor blade, just like Paulie. In 2010, he finally started marketing his own line of pasta sauces. 24. The film cost a reported $25 million, making it Scorsese's most expensive picture at that point in his career. It earned back $47 million in North America. 25. "Goodfellas" was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay (for Scorsese and Pileggi), Best Editing, and Best Supporting Actress (for Bracco). Pesci won the movie's only Academy Award, for Best Supporting Actor. 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