Movie News!: "Black Swan" trailer, "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" casting, and more!

The trailer for Darren Aronofsky's latest film, "Black Swan," has debuted on Apple Trailers. The story is of Nina (Natalie Portman), a young New York City ballet dancer, whose status is threatened by the arrival of Lily (Mila Kunis). As the two compete with each other for the spotlight in Swan Lake and their director's affections, Nina taps into an inner darkness that she cannot contain as it strives to overcome her.

View the trailer here!



In other news, actress Rooney Mara has officially been selected for the highly coveted role of Lisbeth Salander in the American adaptation of the popular Stieg Larsson novel "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and its sequels "The Girl Who Played With Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest." Speculation has gone on for months over which Hollywood ingenue would nab the role. Many were predicting Kristen Stewart or Carey Mulligan, but ever since the director announced he wanted a relatively unknown actress, all bets have been off. Mara has most recently been seen in the remake of "Nightmare on Elm Street" and will soon be starring in "The Social Network" along with fellow up-and-comer Andrew Garfield.



Ian McEwan's 2007 bestseller "On Chesil Beach" is headed for the big screen in what I can only call a collaboration the likes of which I could usually only fantasize about. McEwan has written the screenplay himself (which is good because I don't know how this novel can be adapted without an NC-17 rating, anyone who's read it knows what I'm talkin' bout). He has long said in interviews that his dream team for the film version is Sam Mendes at the helm with Carey Mulligan as its lead. And Ian McEwan is a man who gets what he wants, this case being no exception.

The novel is about a young married couple on their wedding night facing their fears and insecurities as they move ever closer to what will be their first sexual encounter. Carey Mulligan will portray the young bride, Florence, and is in fact learning how to play the violin in preparation for the role (which is that of a gifted concert violinist). Her husband, Edward, has yet to be cast. Filming will most likely begin in late fall.

I suppose that's all for now. I really just wanted an excuse to post that "Black Swan" trailer. (Does that not look crazy?)

Movie News: Cannes wrap-up and more!

Pictured: Javier Bardem and Juliette Binoche, winners for "Biutiful" and "Certified Copy," respectively.

A few weeks ago, May 23d to be exact, while I was weeping over the Lost finale, the Cannes film festival concluded with its 63d annual presentation of the Palme d’Or. This year the top prize went to the Thai film “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives” by Apichatpong Weerasethakul (and no, I did not just press random letters on my keyboard, that is his full name). The film appears to have polarized its audiences, not an unusual occurrence at Cannes, after all this is where Antichrist made its public debut, for which Charlotte Gainsbourg took home the Palme d’Or for acting in 2009.

This year Best Actress went to the ever lovely Juliette Binoche for the film “Certified Copy” by Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami. Best Actor was a tie between Javier Bardem in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s “Biutiful” and Elio Germano in “Our Life,” an Italian film by Daniele Luchetti. Bardem made a bit of a PR splash in his speech, when he openly dedicated the award to longtime girlfriend Penelope Cruz, who has notoriously refused to discuss their relationship in public. But Bardem, usually on board with this policy, dashed pretense aside as he opened his speech by saying, “I share this with my friend, my mate, my love, Penelope.” Cruz, taken totally off guard, immediately burst into tears and began blowing kisses in his direction.




In other news, the first handful of stills from the upcoming American adaptation of “Let The Right One In” (retitled “Let Me In”) have been released, and quite frankly, I am pleased. Granted, anyone looking at that photograph who has seen the original Swedish film will realize that is almost an exact replica of a shot in that film, but at least we know they’re staying faithful to the barren atmosphere that made the story so effective rather than making a slightly creepier Twilight movie. Two more photos can be found at the following link: http://bigfanboy.com/wp/?p=3050

It has now been reported that Keira Knightley and Matt Damon have tentatively been cast in an adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel “Tender is the Night.” As is true with virtually all Fitzgerald novels, the story heavily reflects the relationship between Scott and his own wife Zelda. Therefore I think it’s safe to conclude that Knightley’s attachment to this film means that “The Beautiful and the Damned” is officially getting scrapped. I am not pleased.

Gwyneth Paltrow has officially dropped out of the upcoming film "The Danish Girl" about painter Eimar Wegener, the first recognized transgendered individual. I'm very intrigued by this film, largely because of the interesting casting choices. Nicole Kidman has been cast as Eimar both as a man and a woman. But it seems the role of Greta, Eimar's wife, is somewhat cursed. First it was Charlize Theron, then Paltrow stepped in, and now it's being reported that Uma Thurman is taking over. Most are crediting this sudden withdrawal from Paltrow to her strained marriage to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. There have been some reports of animosity between the two lead actresses, but they seemed little more than tabloid fluff. But what is particularly confounding is that Paltrow dropped out in the middle of production, meaning reshoots are in order with a new actress, who has yet to be confirmed as Thurman. I don't think it will get shelved, but it is being delayed significantly. Regardless, this seems like a missed opportunity for Paltrow as the film simply wreaks of Oscar potential. Especially for Kidman.

Other than that I am developing a list of films I really want to see this summer, especially ‘The Killer Inside Me’ and ‘Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky.’ I'm hoping to see 'Ondine' next weekend, so hopefully a substantial review of something is coming. In the meantime, here is a less-than-one-sentence review of Robin Hood: Watch Braveheart. Or Gladiator. Or King Arthur. Or...eh you get the point.

Also, new layout! huzzar!

Movie News!

So let’s dive right in here with a story I literally just read but am very jazzed about. Several months ago, the History Channel announced that they would be airing their first scripted drama in 2011 in the form of an 8-part miniseries about the life of JFK called “The Kennedys”. Some people (myself included) have expressed some concern over the fact that it is being written and produced by the people who made 24 as they are openly conservative. However, I have faith that the History Channel is aware of how much hype this thing is already getting and they’ll make sure it’s as legit as it can be. And with the new announcement of casting, it sounds like they will be successful. John F. Kennedy will be played by Greg Kinnear with Katie Holmes as Jackie. They have also cast Barry Pepper as Robert F. Kennedy and ultimate mini-series actor Tom Wilkinson as Joseph Kennedy. Personally, I am stoked. Kinnear is one of my favorite actors and I never actually realized how much he looks like JFK until just now. And finally, FINALLY Katie Holmes has found her chance to actually prove herself as an actress and not just the brain-washed kept woman of a psychopath.

= ? Really?

Other casting news, Penelope Cruz has dropped out of Lars Von Trier’s upcoming film “Melancholia” to be replaced by…Kirsten Dunst? This is where the info gets fuzzy because Charlotte Gainsbourg is also cast and I have a much easier time believing that she could take over a Penelope Cruz role than Kirsten Dunst, who I’m pretty sure is the complete visual opposite of Penelope Cruz. Not surprisingly, Cruz has opted to do the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film over Von Trier’s film. On the one hand, I’m sad because I’m sure she would be phenomenal in it and I’m always looking to see her in meaty roles, but on the other, a gal’s gotta make money. And she is literally the only reason I will see the Pirates movie so I think it’s for the best.

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Now for some DEVASTATING casting news. As you recall, in my last Movie News post, I expressed utter glee and delight at the news that Christoph Waltz would be playing Sigmund Freud in the upcoming film “The Talking Cure.” Well….now he isn’t. It’s Viggo Mortensen. I love Viggo, I really do, but if there was ANYONE who was truly meant to play Freud it is Christoph Waltz. On top of this, they’ve changed the name of the film to “A Dangerous Method” which, at the risk of sounding stupid, sounds really stupid.



In lighter events, Carey Mulligan has now officially been cast in Emma Thompson’s remake of My Fair Lady AND an English version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Not sure what’s happening with the film of The Seagull, but if I find out it’s been scrapped I will probably injure someone. This Christoph Waltz business is bad enough.

New Feature: Movie News

First of all, I need to start coming up with cleverer names for these features. I am open to suggestions, preferably involving some sort of horrible pun.

At any rate, I figured it would be a good idea to, instead of just posting reviews, to post news items regarding film since that's pretty much all I look at for 90% of my day. So let's get to it.

- In what is perhaps my most exciting discovery, Freida Pinto of Slumdog Millionaire fame has signed on for Tarsem's upcoming big-budget epic War of the Gods, starring Henry Cavill as a young Theseus. According to Tarsem, the look of it is "Italian Renaissance painting style meets Fight Club" so...awesome. Not only is this big news because a. it means another great part for Pinto but also b. it means something is finally happening with this movie, the progress of which I've been monitoring for about a year. Part of the drag with Tarsem is that it takes him VERY long to make a movie due to his rejection of CGI. Not sure if that will hold up with this film, but I know that The Fall is pretty much entirely shot on location and took 4 years to make.

- Not sure how 'recent' this news is, but I only just found out about it so I'm going to report on it. Evidently, Gwyneth Paltrow is signed on to star in an upcoming Marlene Dietrich biopic, a role for which she was specifically chosen by the Dietrich family. However, Hollywood studios are hesitant to greenlight it because of Paltrow's attachment. Not sure if it's because they don't like Gwyneth, or they, like me, do not see any remote resemblance between her and Dietrich. I like her as an actress, so I'll be interested to see if she pulls it off, but if you ask me, it should be Diane Kruger.

- In other 40s German film star biopic news, it looks like Jodie Foster's long-awaited Leni Riefenstahl film might just have gotten the go-ahead. It's listed on imdb as in development for a 2011 release, but as it's on imdbPro, that means it is WAY early in development meaning all information is subject to change. I really hope this works out, she's been trying to make it since the mid-90s but naturally there is some controversy about how to portray Riefenstahl, as the artist or the Nazi, ideally, it would be some reconciliation of both. We'll see.

- Just continuing with the German theme (I swear this is not intentional), a new movie is in development that I am VERY excited about. It's called The Talking Cure and depicts a fictional (I think) story of Sigmund Freud, Karl Jung and a young Russian woman whom they are treating and with whom Jung begins to fall in love, much to Freud's professional frustration. The casting is PHE.NOM.EN.AL. Sigmund Freud is going to be played by Academy Award Winner Christoph Waltz, Jung by his Inglourious Basterds costar Michael Fassbender, with Keira Knightley as the patient. I will definitely keep checking updates on this.

- Straying from Germany, but not from the 1940s, there are finally some updates on the upcoming Mildred Pierce revamp with Kate Winslet as the Joan Crawford title role. It will be produced by HBO as a five-hour mini-series later this year, and other cast members include Guy Pierce and Evan Rachel Wood. It is being written and directed by I'm Not There director Todd Haynes.

- In other projects-that-I-though-were-dying-but-aren't news, we have also gotten some news about the upcoming Jane Eyre adaptation that was originally supposed to star Ellen Page but after the writers woke up from their Juno-hyped stupor, wisely recast with Alice in Wonderland's Mia Wasikowska as Jane and Michael Fassbender (this guy is cleaning up) as Rochester. Other cast members include a number of British actors I adore such as The Dench, Sally Hawkins, and Jamie Bell. This is substantially more promising than the developing Wuthering Heights reboot starring Gemma Arterton and Gossip Girl's Ed Westwick. What has Twilight done to this novel? If you want to watch a good Wuthering Heights adaptation, I recommend Masterpiece Theater's 2009 version with Charlotte Riley and Tom Hardy.

- To wrap this up, here are some new titles out on DVD that I highly recommend:

Broken Embraces
Precious
An Education (EDIT: Not on DVD yet, coming out on March 30th, but imdb just likes to be wrong about things I guess.)