Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- Steven Spielberg's Next Movie May Be Religious Drama 'The Kidnapping of Eduardo Mortara'
- New Photos Reveal Michael Fassbender as 'Macbeth' (PHOTOS)
- Denis O'Hare Reveals Who His 'American Horror Story: Freak Show' Character
- Johnny Depp Facts: 33 Things You (Probably) Don't Know About the A-List Star
- The First 'Jersey Boys' Trailer Will Have You Tapping Your Toes (VIDEO)
- 'Transcendence' Review: A Journey Into the Absurd
- New Orleans Tries to Woo Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show'
- Zack Snyder Explains How Batman Ended Up in the 'Man of Steel' Sequel
- This 'Space Jam' Live Reading Is Almost as Ridiculous as the Movie (VIDEO)
| Steven Spielberg's Next Movie May Be Religious Drama 'The Kidnapping of Eduardo Mortara' Posted:  While it's seemingly been an eternity since Steven Spielberg's last directorial effort, 2012's "Lincoln," the filmmaker has yet to lock down his next gig behind the camera. According to the Hollywood Reporter, one potential project has just cropped up in the form of "The Kidnapping of Eduardo Mortara," a historical religious drama based on a true story and written by his "Lincoln" and "Munich" collaborator Tony Kushner. Currently Spielberg is producing the project but he might direct, with the eventual film being a coproduction between the Weinstein Company and Spielberg's own DreamWorks. The plot for "The Kidnapping..." concerns "the true-life story of an Italian Jew who became the center of an international controversy in 1858 when he was removed from his parents at the age of 7 by authorities of the Papal States and raised as a Catholic. He went on to become a priest in the Augustinian order." So... You know... light stuff. The same report suggests that while "The Kidnapping of Eduardo Mortara" is currently being written it's not far enough along to be the director's next project. Right now that slot is being jockeyed between "Robopocalypse," the large scale sci-fi project originally written by "Cabin in the Woods" scribe Drew Goddard (a recent rewrite has been turned in) and "Montezuma," another historical epic that Steve Zaillian is writing but is likely not far enough along to be the director's next project either. Chris Hemsworth would star in "Robopocalypse," something that he's still very keen to do despite being wrapped up in his day job as the Norse God of Thunder in the Marvel movies. And it looks like the robot-palooza is probably Spielberg's next movie. But when and if "The Kidnapping of Eduardo Mortara" falls into Spielberg's lap, the filmmaker will undoubtedly knock it out of the park, especially with a collaborator like Kushner. Their two previous films, "Munich" and "Lincoln," were critically beloved powerhouses that were nominated for multiple Oscars. There's no reason to think this would be just as well received. Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| New Photos Reveal Michael Fassbender as 'Macbeth' (PHOTOS) Posted:  Michael Fassbender, in his relatively short career, has played many roles -- he's been a robot in Ridley Scott's "Prometheus," an ancient soldier in "300," a cruel plantation owner in "12 Years a Slave," a film critic spy in "Inglourious Basterds," Carl Jung in "Dangerous Method," and an evil super-powered mutant in "X-Men: First Class" (and next month's "X-Men: Days of Future Past"). But he's about to get positively Shakespearean in next year's "Macbeth," playing the title character for Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel. And The Daily Mail has the very first photos. According to Fassbender, who costars alongside Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth, Sean Harris as Macduff and Paddy Considine as Banquo, he's got his character all figured out. "He's suffering from post traumatic stress disorder," Fassbender told The Daily Mail. "It makes total sense, when you think about it. Justin set the seed of the idea in my head. 'This trauma is something we know about. In World War I they called it battle fatigue, and it was probably more horrific in Macbeth's days, when they were killing with their bare hands, and driving a blade through bodies. He's having these hallucinations, and he needs to return to the violence to find some sort of clarity, or peace." There is certainly a fair amount of intensity in the two photos the Mail published. In the first, Fassbender has his hands wrapped around Cotillard (referred to as "Lady M" in the movie) while candles burn brilliantly around them. In the other photo Macbeth, his face pained in Celtic shapes, stands on a bloody battlefield. This new "Macbeth" is going to be awesome. While there hasn't been a US release date announced, the piece states that an early 2015 date is expected for England. (We shouldn't be far behind.) This is slated to be the big breakout movie for Kurzel, whose unrelentingly bleak "Snowtown" (released here as "The Snowtown Murders") was shocking and exquisitely crafted. We can't wait to see Fassbender get medieval on some people... literally. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Denis O'Hare Reveals Who His 'American Horror Story: Freak Show' Character Posted:  There's pretty much nothing but question marks when it comes to the next season of "American Horror Story." We know that it will have the ominous subtitle "Freak Show," that it will be set in the fifties, and that much of the cast of the previous seasons (including Jessica Lange, supposedly in her last go-around) will return. But Vulture was able to get some details out of returning costar Denis O'Hare... Sort of. He told the site that while last season he was hopelessly in love with Lange, this season their relationship will be altogether different. "I'm going to be working at cross-purposes with her," O'Hare explained. "We'll have lots of scenes with each other, but we'll be battling." The actor, who played the mute butler Spaulding on last year's smash "American Horror Story: Coven," also says that he'll be around in all 10 episodes of the next season, and where his character fits in with the whole freak show dynamic. He told Vulture that he won't be a freak himself but that he'd be a "collector of freaks." Good lord. And we thought the previous seasons were twisted. Oh, and if you were wondering if he took any creepy souvenirs from his time with the "Coven," well, he did. "I love Spaulding... And his dolls. I kept one," he confided. "A little one. I can't talk about it. I think Ryan Murphy would let me go, for that." We think Ryan Murphy has a better sense of humor than that... right? Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Johnny Depp Facts: 33 Things You (Probably) Don't Know About the A-List Star Posted:  Believe it or not, Johnny Depp has been lighting up the silver screen for three decades. Since breaking out on the hit show "21 Jump Street," Depp has become well known for his eccentric roles, most notably as the suave pirate Captain Jack Sparrow. While the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise made him a bankable star, Depp owes much of his career to renowned director Tim Burton for collaborations such as "Edward Scissorhands" (1990) and "Sleepy Hollow" (1999) -- just to name two. But there's still much to know about the international star. From his early ambitions as a musician to his surprising fear, here are 33 things you probably don't know about Johnny Depp. 1. Depp was born in Owensboro, Kentucky in 1963 to Betty Sue Palmer, a waitress, and John Christopher Depp, a civil engineer. 2. He and his family moved frequently during his childhood, living in more than 20 different places before settling in Miramar, Florida. 3. Prior to becoming an actor, Depp dreamed of becoming a rock star. He was trying to make it as a musician in Los Angeles when he transitioned to acting. 4. When he was 12, his mother gave him a guitar. After playing in several garage bands, the future actor dropped out of high school to pursue music. 5. He reportedly went back to school two weeks later, but the principal encouraged him to follow his dreams and be a musician. After enjoying modest local success, Depp and his band The Kids moved to Los Angeles to get a record contract. 6. The Kids once opened for legendary punk rocker Iggy Pop, but they struggled to have greater success. 7. Depp credits Nicolas Cage with helping him get his first acting job after Cage hooked him up with his first agent. Depp has seemingly never forgotten. 8. When Cage fell into financial trouble in 2007, Depp reportedly offered to pay off his debt as a way to say thank you for kickstarting his career. 9. He was even listed in the 2012 Guinness Book of World Records as the highest paid actor, netting a total of $75 million in 2011. 10. Depp's most financially successful films have been the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and "Alice in Wonderland," which have grossed $3 billion and $1 billion, respectively. 11. Despite several critically acclaimed roles, the actor has never won an Oscar. 12. He has been nominated for the Best Actor Oscar three times, for "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (2007), "Finding Neverland" (2004), and "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" (2003). 13. He won a Golden Globe in 2008 for his role in "Sweeney Todd." 14. His first acting role was in Wes Craven's 1984 classic "A Nightmare on Elm Street." 15. He has collaborated with director Tim Burton on eight films, beginning with "Edward Scissorhands" (1990) and most recently starring in "Dark Shadows" (2012). 16. He has twice been named the "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine in 2003 and 2009. 17. Depp is currently engaged to actress Amber Heard after proposing on Christmas Eve 2013. The couple met on the set of "The Rum Diary" (2012). 18. Despite five (known) engagements, Depp has only been married one time. He was wed to Lori Anne Allison in 1983 and later divorced in 1985. 19. After his marriage, Depp was engaged to actresses Jennifer Grey ("Dirty Dancing") and Sherilyn Fenn ("Twin Peaks") in the late 1980s. 20. In 1990, the actor also became engaged to his "Edward Scissorhands" co-star Winona Ryder. 21. He even got a tattoo -- "Winona Forever" -- to commemorate their love. Following their breakup, Depp altered the ink to read "Wino Forever." 22. With over a dozen tattoos, Depp has said his "body is a journal in a way. It's like what sailors used to do, where every tattoo meant something..." 23. After calling it off with Ryder, Depp became dating British supermodel Kate Moss, who has a thing for musicians and actors. 24. During this time, the actor infamously trashed the Mark Hotel in New York City. He even blamed an armadillo for the damage! 25. Following his relationship with Moss, he settled down with French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis from 1998 to 2012. Although they never married, the couple have two children together, Lily-Rose Melody and John "Jack" Christopher. 26. Don't ask him to dance! He fears dancing more than anything in the world and has never danced in real life. He's only danced as a character in a movie with a choreographed routine. 27. Initially just a fan, Depp became a long-time friend of journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson. He starred in two film adaptations of Thompson's novels, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (1998) and "The Rum Diary" (2011). 28. He even paid for most of Thompson's memorial event, including the shooting of the writer's ashes by cannon -- as were his wishes. 29. Depp travels with his Captain Jack Sparrow costume from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise in order to surprise kids at hospitals. He says he'll "just sneak in and go and surprise a bunch of kiddies... It basically turns into a two, three-hour improvisation and it's really fun." 30. His quirky and crowd-pleasing performance as the suave pirate Captain Jack Sparrow was modeled after Keith Richards, the guitarist for The Rolling Stones. 31. Richards and Depp are friends and spent time together on the set of "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (2007), which Rolling Stone magazine covered in a 2007 issue. 32. Depp's rock star connections don't stop there. He's twice recorded with Oasis, notably playing lead slide guitar on the British band's 1997 track "Fade In-Out." 33. Depp is set to star as the infamous Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger in the biopic "Black Mass." Directed by Scott Cooper ("Out of the Furnace"), the film begins production this summer. [Sources: IMDb, Wikipedia, Star Pulse] Article photo via Getty This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The First 'Jersey Boys' Trailer Will Have You Tapping Your Toes (VIDEO) Posted:  One of the major X-factors of the summer movie season has been Clint Eastwood's adaptation of the smash Broadway musical "Jersey Boys." The true life tale of Frankie Valli and the formation of his influential pop band the Four Seasons. For a while it looked like the movie would open up at Christmas, joining the Broadway musical thunder-dome that currently includes big budget cinematic revamps of "Into the Woods" and "Annie." But then the reality set in: Eastwood is a grumpy old director who never does two takes and ends each shooting day before lunch. "Jersey Boys" suddenly became a summer movie... and the first trailer has just debuted. And it's really, really good. Instead of relying on movie stars, Eastwood corralled a bunch of young actors who had starred in various stage productions of the show, so John Lloyd Young stars as Frankie Valli, Erich Bergen is Bob Gaudio, Vincent Piazza is Tommy DeVito and Michael Lomenda is Nick Massai. (Christopher Walken plays, unsurprisingly, a gangster tangentially connected to the band.) Anyone who has seen the original Broadway show, or knows about the band, understands that it's the perfect fit for a dramatic film, with a whole lot of heartache, setbacks, and male insecurity. The movie version of "Jersey Boys" was written by certifiable genius John Logan ("Rango," "Skyfall") and features lush cinematography from longtime Eastwood confederate Tom Stern. At the very least, it looks like it will the perfect thing to take your parents to, if only because it doesn't involve a single superhero or transforming robot. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Transcendence' Review: A Journey Into the Absurd Posted: It's a lot to process in two hours, and Pfister's movie asks several important, philosophical questions that it doesn't necessarily answer -- about mankind's reliance on technology, what it means to be human, how far you'd go for someone you love, and, most importantly, why doesn't Morgan Freeman like birthday cake? But we'll leave those to smarter minds than ours. Instead, here are some of the other key questions we still have after coming out of "Transcendence." Does making the cover of "Wired" really get you groupies? When Will shows up to deliver his fateful keynote speech, sort of a pseudo-TED talk, he's besieged by groupies asking him to sign their dog-eared copies of "Wired." It's an expedient way for the movie to let us know that he's some kind of rock star scientist, a prospect it seems the filmmakers found so dubious, they decided to have Paul Bettany's character explicitly question more than once. Because, sure, out of all the crazy things "Transcendence" asks us to suspend our disbelief for -- that a person's consciousness could be uploaded to the cloud, or nanotechnology that can heal the blind in seconds -- that's the one they apparently think the audience is going to take issue with. We get it, he's Johnny Depp. He could hand out parking tickets all day and he'd still have a fan club. Does Will come with a built-in screensaver? Because it sure looks that way. When the computer version of Will isn't projecting Depp's face onto one of his many screens or soothing Evelyn with some wine and light adult contemporary, there's a shot of goldfish swimming, and a silhouette of a ballet dancer. The only thing that's missing is a flying toaster. Why does Paul Bettany seem like the only one who's trying here? For a movie so concerned with the mysteries of human emotion, Pfister's cast is conspicuously lacking in that department -- Depp, in particular, which is fine when he's playing a super-advanced AI, but he's pretty robotic as a human too. Which might help explain why Evelyn has so much difficulty figuring out whether the sentient super-computer is really her husband. As one of Will's scientist colleagues and an FBI counter-terrorism agent, Freeman and Cillian Murphy (respectively) barely register; they're basically here to do Pfister and executive producer Nolan a favor. Bettany's the only one of the bunch who manages to give his character much in the way of a soul. What was the FBI doing all that time? Midway through the movie, "Transcendence" jumps forward in time two years, while the consciousness-formerly-known-as-Will's power and reach grows exponentially. Both the FBI and the Neo-Luddite terrorist organization R.I.F.T., led by Kate Mara's Bree, have known about the potential threat he poses this whole time, yet for some reason, they take a two-year hiatus so he can get stronger. There's no real reason the movie's time frame couldn't have been compressed, but it's symptomatic of a larger problem: that the pacing of the film is clunky. Ostensibly a techno-thriller, "Transcendence" jumps awkwardly between confusing plot points and its larger themes, preventing the movie from building any real momentum. Why was that blind guy so unfazed by regaining his sight? One of Will's major scientific breakthroughs involves the use of nanotechnology to repair damaged human tissue, help the disabled walk again, reverse disease, and save lives. Not to mention build an army of networked, super-strong human/computer "hybrids" out in the desert (but don't worry about that, everybody). The Casters initially demonstrate this world-altering medical triumph for Freeman and Murphy's characters in their lab, where they give a man who's been blind since birth his sight back. Which ends up meaning that the first thing he sees in his entire life is Freeman's face squinting at him from six inches away, and the guy barely flinches. Then again, he probably just recognized Freeman's soothing dulcet tones from "March of the Penguins." Would anyone really use a keyboard as a doorstopper? This isn't a spoiler: "Transcendence" opens five years in the future, in a world devoid of power and/or technology, one where broken cell phones litter the ground and dusty old keyboards are used as doorstoppers. It's a shot Pfister likes so much, he recycles it again at the end. It's also a pretty trite visual metaphor. As an Oscar-winning cinematographer, Pfister lets his eye for well-composed visuals get the better of him at times, often at the expense of the story. Or to put it another way, water droplets get almost as much screen-time as Kate Mara does. Why wasn't this movie better? Given the vast amounts of talent both behind and in front of the camera, it's a little disappointing "Transcendence" didn't turn into the intelligent, exciting sci-fi thriller it clearly had the potential to be. Instead, much like Will's transformation, the movie is started with the best of intentions, but quickly gets away from its creators. It's more a modern update on "Frankenstein" than a gender-reversed "Her," and the pod people "hybrids" certainly offer some creepy visuals -- only they don't actually, you know, do anything other than just stand around and act like a walking Bluetooth speaker for Will. Ultimately, the problem is that "Transcendence" doesn't seem to know what it wants to say, about technology, about humanity, and the intersections between the two. It aims to be the type of movie that'll have you talking afterwards; thanks to a few odd plot holes and some questionable internal logic, it succeeds, although probably not in the way the filmmakers hoped. "Transcendence" is now playing in theatres. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| New Orleans Tries to Woo Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' Posted:  While it seems more than likely that Stephen Colbert will remain in New York City when he takes the reins of "The Late Show" from retiring host David Letterman next year, the city of New Orleans is actively campaigning for Colbert and co. to move production to Louisiana instead. In a letter to CBS head honcho Les Moonves, New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu asked the network to consider bringing the show to the city, citing its film-friendly policies and tax credits, as well as its popularity among high-profile Hollywood productions, including newly-crowned Best Picture winner "12 Years a Slave." Acknowledging that New York and Los Angeles are the traditional locales for late night programming, the mayor wrote that he "would like to encourage [CBS] to add New Orleans to the mix." "Though it may seem like an unlikely fit, New Orleans and 'The Late Show' or its successor would be a great fit," Landrieu wrote. "New Orleans is a brand unto itself and it is particularly attractive for the key demographic you are trying to reach. We offer you not only our unique culture and rich history, but attractive business incentives for film production." Landrieu added that having so many movies film in the city would make scheduling guests for interviews on "The Late Show" extremely easy. "[B]ringing the successor to 'The Late Show' to New Orleans makes sense for CBS," Landrieu wrote. There's probably no chance of Landrieu's request being granted, but he at least deserves credit for trying. (And pointing out the city's tax credit incentives in such a showy fashion will no doubt bring plenty of publicity to New Orleans, and maybe lure in some other productions, too.) [via Uproxx] Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Robert F. Kennedy Center For Justice And Human Rights This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Zack Snyder Explains How Batman Ended Up in the 'Man of Steel' Sequel Posted:  While it's still too early for many details about the plot of "Batman vs. Superman" -- the super-secret "Man of Steel" follow-up slated for release in 2016 -- to be revealed, director Zack Snyder is opening up about his inspiration for the film, including how he decided to insert Batman into the Superman reboot's universe.In an interview with Forbes, Snyder admitted that the idea to revisit Bruce Wayne had been with him early on in the sequel-planning process, but explained that the character's presence in the film wasn't a shoehorned excuse for a reboot so much as a natural foe for the Man of Steel. Snyder added that he was still planning on taking much of his inspiration for the character -- set to be played by Ben Affleck -- from Frank Miller's comics, with the goal of evoking an emotional, thought-provoking response from moviegoers. " ... Batman and Superman ... teach us about ourselves," the director said. "I think Batman - now after Chris [Nolan]'s movies and the way we track Batman through his cinematic history - he does have this license to enter our world and be a real character and not a complete cartoon, and he's able to tell us about the way we live and our society. He moves with us, his morality - I think Superman probably less so, but I think Batman definitely sort of reflects us in a more personal way." "Batman vs. Superman" hits theaters May 6, 2016. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| This 'Space Jam' Live Reading Is Almost as Ridiculous as the Movie (VIDEO) Posted:  How now-adult children of the '90s feel about "Space Jam" -- the 1996 live action/animation hybrid starring all your favorite Looney Tunes characters and basketball stars including Michael Jordan -- probably depends on just how much they loved the movie as a kid. But even an impartial observer would most likely agree that the movie's premise (aliens kidnap the Looney Tunes, and Jordan and other NBA stars must help them win a basketball game to earn their freedom) is just plain ridiculous. With that spirit in mind, a group of comedians and current NBA players gathered to stage a live reading of the "Space Jam" script last month, and the results, unsurprisingly, were wonderful. What was surprising, however, was just how seriously some of the cast members took their duties, with a handful performing almost pitch-perfect imitations of their characters' voices. The cast included Seth Green, Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer, Ben Schwartz, and Danielle Fishel, while Los Angeles Clippers players Blake Griffin and DeAngelo Jordan channeled their NBA forefathers Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, respectively. (DeAngelo Jordan's take on Barkley in particular was scarily accurate, and caused the rest of the actors to break down in giggles every time he spoke.) While the entire reading isn't available (yet), this short highlight reel is definitely worth a watch. Fingers crossed we get to see the whole, glorious event some day. [via Vulture] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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