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Latest Video: FilmCrunch 067: Hairspray, Chuck & Larry, Premonition reviewed

Veronica Santiago and Neil Estep review Hairspray, Chuck & Larry, and Premonition in this episode of FilmCrunch.
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Dakota FanningDakota Fanning is in negotiations to star in Very Good Girls.

The Secret Life of Bees actress could star alongside Anton Yelchin and Elizabeth Olsen in the directorial debut of Naomi Foner. The film tells the tale of two girls who have been best friends for life but decide they want to lose their virginity before they graduate high school. However, their relationship sours when they both fall for the same boy.

"The film deals with female sexuality and friendship in a way we haven't seen before. These girls will be stunning young girls in a couple of years, but they've struggled through high school with only each other. Most of us have been there. This is the summer where they finally get to touch real life," Naomi said, commenting on the film.

Very Good Girls is set to shoot in New York City in June.


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Paul BettanyPaul Bettany believes that making a good movie is about guess work.

The British actor - who has starred in films including A Beautiful Mind, The Secret Lives of Bees and Iron Man - believes there is no guaranteed way to make a successful film, and he admits many people were surprised at the success of his latest work Margin Call.

"I've never seen more shocked faces. Because nobody could quite believe it had come together so well. I thought it was bright and well-written, which is rare, and it was 17 days of filming so I just thought, 'This is a good punt.' It's just proof that you never know. People are always trying to work out the formula for making a movie that is well-regarded, but it's like looking at f**king tea leaves."

Paul stars alongside Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto and Kevin Spacey in the movie, and he admits it "changed" him because it showed him how professional a set could be: "This movie changed me in that it reminded me of all the reasons why I first became an actor. I can't make movies that I don't care about any more."


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Ryan Reynolds and Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Reynolds are set to star in Big Eyes. The pair have signed up to play artists Margaret and Walter Keane - who became famous in the 1950s and 60s after their paintings of large-eyed kids were one of the first mass marketed art sensations at the time - in a film that will be produced by Tim Burton.

Click to continue reading Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Reynolds For Big Eyes


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Madonna at the Golden Globe AwardsMadonna wrote a film because she was lonely. The 53-year-old star's fascination with Wallis Simpson - the subject of her new movie W.E. - stemmed from her interest in English history, which she began to research when she first moved to London with former husband Guy Ritchie.

"When I moved to England after I got married, I really didn't have any friends. I didn't know anybody. I found myself in a strange world and I decided that I was going to find out about the history and culture. So I started studying English history and reading about the monarchy. When I got to Edward VIII, I was transfixed by the idea that a man would give up such a powerful position for love. I started reading books about Wallis Simpson, and I found a lot of them to be really negative and one-dimensional. When women have some kind of power, and we don't understand them, we diminish them."

Madonna related to Wallis a lot and thinks that made her the right person to direct the film: "I think I had an insight into her character that possibly other directors wouldn't have, because I know what it's like to be reduced to a sound bite."


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Daniel Craig as James BondThe first official synopsis has been released for forthcoming James Bond movie Skyfall.

The eagerly anticipated movie - which will see Daniel Craig return in the role as the British spy - will place the relationship between the leading man and character M, played by Dame Judi Dench, under pressure.

"Daniel Craig is back as James Bond 007 in Skyfall, the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. In Skyfall, Bond's loyalty to M (Judi Dench) is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost."

The movie - which stars newcomers to the series Ben Whishaw and Javier Bardem - is currently shooting in London and is due to be released in November 2012.

Click to continue reading Skyfall Synopsis Revealed


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Lily CollinsLily Collins is set to star in the Evil Dead remake. The Mirror Mirror star - daughter of singer Phil Collins - is being lined up to take on the role of Mia, who is one of the five friends who decide to take an ill-advised trip to a remote cabin in the woods.

Just like the original film, the group of pals discover a dusty tomb known as The Necronomicon, from which reading a passage out loud results in chaos with the release of flesh-possessing demons. Lily's character has recently suffered a drug overdose and is looking forward to a weekend of detox at the cabin. So when she starts claiming to have been attacked by the trees outside, her friends just assume it's some sort of post-traumatic paranoia.

The remake of the 1981 film will be directed by Fede Alvarez from a script co-written with Rodo Sayagues and Diablo Cody, Bloody Disgusting reports. It is due for release in April 2013.


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Michael FassbenderMichael Fassbender is a "once-in-a generation" actor. The Shame star has a "femininity" which helps put him into the same league as Hollywood greats like Marlon Brando and James Dean, according to director Steve McQueen:

"He's a once in a generation actor. Michael's a man's man, but he has a femininity too. A lot of actors today are very masculine. You have to go back to actors like Brando and James Dean to find that combination. His openness is key to him being a great actor."

Although he has played some weighty roles in recent years, such as Northern Irish hunger strike prisoner Bobby Sands in Hunger and sex addict Brendan in Shame, Michael could branch out into action, as he is in the frame for a remake of 1987 movie Robocop, about a former policeman who is murdered and re-created as a crime-fighting cyborg.

"You know, I'm always open. I'll take a look at the script and sit down with the director and have a conversation. It's not definitely like, 'Oh, I've got to play RoboCop before I retire.' I don't have that about anything. I don't go, 'I have to play the Dane one day, or Hamlet.' If I react to the script, then I'm up for anything," Michael said.


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Kristen Wiig at the Bridesmaids premiereKirsten Wiig won't write or star in any potential Bridesmaids sequel. Universal is keen to capitalize on the success of the comedy - which grossed $288 million worldwide and was produced for just $32 million - with a follow-up film, but the actress, who co-wrote the script with writing partner Annie Mumolo, is busy with other commitments.

"We aren't working on that. Annie and I aren't planning a sequel. We are writing something else," Kristen said.

A Universal source added to The Hollywood Reporter, "We are over the moon with the success of Bridesmaids, and if we do a sequel we want to get it right. We are talking to filmmakers now about concepts, and if the right one emerges, we'll move forward."

Producer Judd Apatow is open to a sequel, but only if the idea is "great" and insiders believe he will only stay involved if Kristen remains on board: "The key is we have to come up with an idea that is as good or better than the first one. We don't want to do it unless it can be great. I don't think anyone has had the brain space to think about it yet. Hopefully that can begin this year."

Click to continue reading Kristen Wiig Won’t Write or Star in Bridesmaids Sequel


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J.J. AbramsJ.J. Abrams believes it will be his fault if Star Trek 2 is not a success. The director - who returns to the sci-fi franchise for the follow-up to the hugely successful 2009 film - admits the script by Damon Lindelof, Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman is "amazing" and it is up to him to make it into a decent movie.

"It's a little early to be talking about Star Trek, but I will say that they wrote, the three writers Damon, Bob and Alex, they wrote the most amazing script and I'm thrilled to get a chance to direct it. It's totally mine to screw up, so if you don't like it, it's completely on me. Our sets are almost done, so we're going to go back and start shooting next month."

He also revealed the movie will not be shot with special 3-D cameras but instead converted in post-production. "We're shooting on film, 2-D, and then we'll do a good high-end conversion like the Harry Potter movie and all that. Luckily, with our release date now we have the months needed to do it right because if you rush it, it never looks good."

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana are all returning to the film, which is set for release in 2013.


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Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron ManRobert Downey Jr. thinks the Iron Man 3 script is the "best" he has read.

The 46-year-old actor is set to reprise the role of businessman Tony Stark/Iron Man for the fourth time - following on from the character's appearance in ensemble comic book movie The Avengers - in the highly anticipated film, and he admits he is excited to get working on the Shane Black-directed feature.

Speaking at the UK premiere of new movie Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows at the Empire Leicester Square, Robert told BANG Showbiz, "Iron Man 3? It's the best script I've read in five years. It's going to be a phenomenal theatre-going experience."

Filming on the movie is set to begin early next year ahead of a summer 2013 release.


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