‘The Great Gatsby’ Kicks Off Cannes Film Festival

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Warner Bros, Adaptation, Drama, Romance, New Releases

The Great Gatsby opened the Cannes Film Festival last night.

Several stars from the film including Leonardo DiCaprio - who plays main character Jay Gatsby - Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan and Amitabh Bachchan took to the red carpet in the rain for the premiere of Baz Luhrmann's drama movie to launch the 66th annual film gala.

DiCaprio looked dapper in a smart black suit and admitted taking on the lead role in the motion picture - which is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's popular novel - carried "enormous pressure." He told BBC News, "What is so great about this novel and why people still discuss it nearly 100 years later and still have arguments about the meaning of each sentence and each word and each bit of symbolism, is because it's left up to the interpretation of you as a reader. In a way it's a recipe for disaster because so many people are going to say, 'That's not how I felt Daisy should be or how Gatsby should be.' I just looked at it as an incredible character to take on, something that was subtle in its approach but had so much depth and meaning in every single line."

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Cinecast: Clips from Jarmusch’s Latest, Bradley Cooper in Curlers

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Buena Vista, Columbia Pictures, Disney, Paramount, Action, Adaptation, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Independent, Period, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Thrillers, Books, Casting, Celeb News, Celebrity Gossip, Filmmaking, Trailers, Upcoming Releases, Videos

+ While most actors probably would have donned a wig in his place, Bradley Cooper is dedicated to his craft. Here are some photos to prove that the curls he sports in David O. Russell's upcoming frilm American Hustle are the real deal!

+ Just as you were thinking that Tom Hiddleston was all brooded-out after playing Loki for three films, the folks behind Jim Jarmusch's upcoming Only Lovers Left Alive put out two clips of the vampire flick that prove you wrong.

+ Mad Men star is moving on up to the big screen, getting behind the camera to direct Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Turturro, Richard Jenkins, and Christina Hendricks in God's Pocket, which he adapted from Pete Dexter's novel of the same name.

+ With Fast and Furious 6 and the return of his Pitch Black character in Riddick, this year is unofficially the year of Vin Diesel and his sequels. While you're still holding out hope that xXx: The Return of Xander Cage will be finally greenlit, you can check out the trailer for Riddick here.
 

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Box Office Breakdown: ‘Gatsby’ Was No Match for ‘Iron Man’

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: 20th Century Fox, Buena Vista, Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Biopics, Drama, Family, Period, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Sports, Thrillers, Box Office, New Releases

Despite its buzz, glamour, and the return of Leonardo DiCaprio in a Baz Luhrman production, The Great Gatsby clearly stood no chance against Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man this weekend.

Iron Man 3 took in an impressive $72.4 million, securing its second consecutive week at the top while The Great Gatsby debuted with $51.1 million. Pain and Gain fell to number three with just $5 million and Tyler Perry Presents Peeples earned $4.8 million in its first week, marking it as number four in the box office chart. The baseball drama 42 fell two spots with its $4.6 million take, rounding out the top five.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: ‘Gatsby’ Was No Match for ‘Iron Man’

Read More | Box Office Mojo

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Quote of the Day: Julie Delpy on Richard Linklater

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Sony, Drama, Romance, Sequels, Celebrity Gossip, Filmmaking, New Releases

“Rick’s very laid-back. Ethan and I are crazy and animated because we are in the moment of those characters. Rick’s ten years older. We’re, like, here trying to figure out what’s going on, and Rick has probably figured it out but he’s letting us figure it out for ourselves... He feels like God sometimes.”

- Julie Delpy describes her relationship on set with director Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke, with whom she's worked on Before Sunset, Before Sunrise, and now Before Midnight.

(Make sure to check out other notable quotes.)

Read More | Vulture

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Box Office Breakdown: ‘Iron Man 3’ Blasts Competition Away

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: 20th Century Fox, Buena Vista, FOCUS, Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Action, Adventure, Animation, Biopics, Drama, Family, Independent, Period, Romance, Satire, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Sports, Thrillers, Box Office, New Releases

Iron Man 3 broke box office records this weekend, earning $175.3 million - the second biggest opening after The Avengers (which also stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man), which took in $207.4 million when it debuted.

Last week's number one film, Pain and Gain, dropped one spot with $7.6 million while 42 stayed put at number three with $6.2 million. The sci-fi Tom Cruise vehicle Oblivion fell two spots to number four with $5.7 million while the number five spot went to The Croods with $4.2 million.

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Read More | Box Office Mojo

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Has Gus Van Sant Found His Christian Grey?

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Adaptation, Romance, Casting, Celebrity Gossip, Rumors, Upcoming Releases

The film adaptation of controversial romance novel 50 Shades of Grey might have found its leading man.

It is rumored that director Gus Van Sant had British actor Alex Pettyfer - whom you may recall as Adam from Magic Mike - test for the role of Christian Grey, the protagonist of E.L. James' steamy romance novel. While nothing is set in stone just yet, sources say that Van Sant has had Pettyfer test a scene with an unknown actress in order to impress the film's producers.

Ryan Gosling and Zac Efron are among some of the stars whose names have been suggested for the role of Christian.

As for the role of the female lead, Anastasia Steele, both Elizabeth Olsen and Emma Watson have ruled out the possibility of accepting the part.

There's no word yet as to when the film is due to be released.

Read More | Daily Mail

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Quote of the Day: Carey Mulligan on Gatsby’s Daisy and the Kardashians

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Warner Bros, Adaptation, Classics, Drama, Romance, Celeb News, Upcoming Releases

"She's in her own TV show. She's like a Kardashian."

- Carey Mulligan compares her character, Daisy Buchanan, from her upcoming film Gatsby, to reality stars of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

(Make sure to check out other notable quotes.)

Read More | People

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Orlando Bloom to Make Broadway Debut as Romeo

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Classics, Drama, Romance, Casting, Celeb News, Upcoming Releases

Orlando Bloom will make his Broadway debut in a new production of Romeo & Juliet.

The 36-year-old actor will star as the tragic hero Romeo in director David Leveaux's staging of William Shakespeare's classic love story, which will begin previews at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York on August 24 with an official opening date of September 19. Condola Rashad will play Juliet in the production, but director David insists he isn't trying to make a political point by casting a black actress in the role opposite a white actor as Romeo.

"They could have been any number of different ethnicities. The two actors I wanted to be together producing sparks just happened to be those two and I followed my nose in casting the families. There was nothing simple about that choice but I'm not about to turn a contemporary version of Shakespeare into a sociological or political point. We know there are families from one background or another who would reject their children getting together with someone from another group. Romeo and Juliet reject that notion. It is still the case that children try to oppose the cultural expectations thrust upon them, the rigidity of tribes, the rigidity of fundamentalism," he told The New York Times.

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Emma Watson Doesn’t Want ‘50 Shades’ Role

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Adaptation, Drama, Romance, Casting, Celebrity Gossip, Rumors, Upcoming Releases

Emma Watson doesn't want to star in the upcoming Fifty Shades of Grey movie.

While the 22-year-old actress was reported to be the frontrunner to play the female protagonist Anastasia Steele in the film - which is based on E. L. James' best-selling erotic novel of the same name - Emma isn't interested in the movie.

"Who here actually thinks I would do 50 Shades of Grey as a movie? Like really. For real. In real life (sic)," she wrote on Twitter.

The role would be a huge departure from Emma's previous movies as Anastasia is the love interest of Christian Grey, the male protagonist of the book who introduces her to the world of bondage and kinky sex.

Keira Knightley was also linked to the movie but the Pirates of the Caribbean star was equally unenthusiastic about taking on the raunchy role. When asked if her next project will be a more risque literary adaptation than she has done in the past, she replied, "No, it's not. It's not going to be Fifty Shades of Grey. You know, I normally don't like to give a definite about anything, [but] I can definitely say it will not be Fifty Shades of Grey."

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Box Office Breakdown: ‘Oz’ Maintains Its Magic Touch

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Buena Vista, Disney, Lionsgate, Universal, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Romance, Science Fiction, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, New Releases

Both the star power of Halle Berry and the magic of Steve Carell, Jim Carrey, and Steve Buscemi were no match for Sam Raimi's Wizard of Oz prequel.

Oz the Great and Powerful - which stars James Franco, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, and Rachel Weisz - securing its number one spot with $42.2 million, a roughly 46 percent drop from its $80.2 million debut last week. Berry's latest thriller, The Call, debuted at number two with $17.1 million while fellow newcomer The Incredible Burt Wonderstone placed third with $10.3 million. Jack the Giant Slayer and Identity Thief fell two spots to number four and five, respectively with $6.2 million and $4.5 million.

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Read More | Box Office Mojo

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