First Look at Anna Kendrick in New “Drinking Buddies” Images

May 15, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

drinkingbuddiessm Joe Swanberg’s SXSW premiered “Drinking Buddies”, as the title suggests, features a lot of alcohol consumption, so it’s no surprise that two new photos from the film rarely feature a character without a glass in their hands. The new photos feature our first look at Anna Kendrick and Ron Livingston as the other two legs of the love quadrangle at the center of the romantic drama.

Olivia Wilde and “New Girl”‘s Jake Johnson have the leads in the mostly improvised film, as two co-workers at a Chicago brewery who spend their shifts drinking and flirting with the line between friendship and something more, which is complicated by the fact that they both have significant others (Kendrick and Livingston). We haven’t seen the film, but it appears Kendrick and Livingston may get in on the blurring of lines between platonic and something more as well. Oh, alcohol, ruiner of lives and relationships. You’re so great.

“Drinking Buddies” releases on VOD on July 25th and in theaters on August 23rd. Two new stills from the film can be found below.

Anna Kendrick and Gemma Arterton Join Ryan Reynolds in Psychological Thriller “The Voices”

April 22, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

voices Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton and Anna Kendrick are hearing things. According to Deadline, the trio are set to begin filming psychological thriller “The Voices” imminently in Berlin, with Reynolds in the role of a “lovable but strange bathtub factory worker” with an unrequited crush on a co-worker.

Iranian filmmaker Marjane Satrapi will direct the fantastical story, which really picks up when Reynolds’ Jerry is implicated in the accidental death of a co-worker (the aforementioned crush? It’s unclear), and goes on a journey with the help of his evil talking cat and benevolent talking dog. So there’s that. No word on who Kendrick and Arterton will play, though likely they aren’t just lending their voices to talking animals.

Arterton is most known for modestly successful actioners like “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” and “Clash of the Titans” and was most recently seen in “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters” opposite Jeremy Renner and British musical drama “Song for Marion.” Kendrick earned an Oscar nomination for her role opposite George Clooney in “Up in the Air” and most recently headlined surprise comedy musical hit “Pitch Perfect”. She will shoot another musical, “The Last Five Years”, opposite Broadway star Jeremy Jordan after wrapping on “Voices.”

Jeremy Jordan To Duet With Anna Kendrick In Richard LaGravenese Musical “The Last Five Years”

February 21, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

jeremy-jordan Broadway star Jeremy Jordan continues his takeover of the screen, as Broadway.com reports (and Deadline later confirmed) the current “Smash” series regular has landed the male lead role opposite Anna Kendrick in Richard LaGravenese’s adaptation of Jason Robert Brown’s “The Last Five Years.”

Jordan and Kendrick will play Jamie and Cathy, a 20-something couple who meet, fall in love, get married and break up over the course of five years. Through songs, they each chronicle the relationship: She reflects from the moment it’s over and backwards to the beginning, while he starts from the beginning and recounts the rise and fall of their marriage. They meet only once, at their wedding, to sing a duet. LaGravenese recently told reporters during “Beautiful Creatures” promo that the shoot will take 22 days and it’s budgeted at $2 million.

Jordan was nominated for a Tony last year for originating the role of Jack Kelly in “Newsies” and like many other young Broadway rising stars, has been looking to transition to screen work. He appeared in 2011′s musical comedy “Joyful Noise” and recently joined season two of NBC series “Smash” as a series regular.

“Burt Wonderstone” to open SXSW 2013; “Drinking Buddies”, “Evil Dead” and more to premiere

January 15, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in General News, Images Leave a comment

Film Festival season of 2013 is officially underway. Sundance is just around the corner, and now increasingly popular Austin fest SXSW has announced its first batch of films. Magician buddy comedy “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone”, starring Steve Carell, Jim Carrey and Olivia Wilde, will open the festival with its world premiere. Meanwhile, Wilde will be double-dipping at the fest, as she also stars in Joe Swanberg’s rom com “Drinking Buddies”, which co-stars Anna Kendrick, Jake Johnson and Ron Livingston and which will also have its world premiere at the festival.

Harmony Korine’s much talked-about “Spring Breakers”, which stars James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez and Ashley Benson and which premiered at Cannes last year, was also announced today as part of the initial lineup of SXSW. Another buzzy title making its world premiere is the remake of “Evil Dead”, which features the quintet of Jane Levy, Jessica Lucas, Shiloh Fernandez, Elizabeth Blackmore and Lou Taylor Pucci being tortured and slaughtered quite graphically.

The list of the first batch of films can be viewed below, along with the first image of Wilde and Johnson in “Drinking Buddies.”

Skylar Astin and Rebel Wilson may return for “Pitch Perfect” sequel

December 19, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting, General News Leave a comment

Aca-obvious! Musical comedy “Pitch Perfect” was one of the surprise hits of the year, so it’s clear why Universal is already talking about doing a sequel. One of the stars of the original film, Skylar Astin, tells MovieWeb that the studio is already talking to him and his fellow cast members about reprising their roles: “I do have a meeting with a Universal representative next week. And I know that Rebel Wilson had hers last weekend. It’s definitely a talking point.”

The Jason Moore-directed original film starred Anna Kendrick, Anna Camp and Brittany Snow and has grossed over $60 million at the box office. Camp and Snow’s characters graduated in the first film, so their return seems unlikely, but what of Kendrick? The film certainly raised the profile of the talented (but often relegated to supporting roles) actress and her Beca was the lead in the original film, but her character’s keen desire to move to LA to become a music producer also leaves an easy out should she decide to move on to other projects.

There’s also an argument to be made for the “Bring it On” model, wherein each sequel featured a brand new cast of characters, which would certainly work for “Pitch Perfect” as well with its built-in plot and musical hook. Of course, it’s early yet and just because they’re talking about the possibility, doesn’t mean it’s a done deal. Still, pretty aca-awesome news for fans of the film, which is quickly hitting cult status.

Anna Kendrick to reflect on “The Last Five Years” in adaptation of Chicago musical

October 22, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting Leave a comment

She’s a Tony and Oscar award nominee so it’s not surprising that Hollywood would be after Anna Kendrick for the latest crop of musical adaptations. After a storming performance in “Pitch Perfect“, Kendrick was most recently reading for an adaptation of the Broadway smash “Into The Woods“. Now Moviehole reports that the rising actress has snagged the lead role in another musical adaptation, the Chicago-born play “The Last Five Years“.

Richard LaGravenese will adapt and direct the film from Jason Robert Brown’s acclaimed play, which follows the relationship of struggling actress Cathy (Kendrick) and her partner who is a novelist. The play uses “a form of storytelling in which the young woman’s story is told in reverse chronological order (beginning the show at the end of the marriage), and the male’s is told in chronological order (starting just after the couple have first met). The characters did not directly interact except for a wedding song in the middle as their timelines intersect.”

Kendrick was most recently seen in Robert Redford‘s “The Company You Keep” and law enforcement drama “End of Watch“, which has been screening at festivals around the globe including TIFF and the London Film Festival. She recently wrapped on indie comedy “Get a Job” opposite Miles Teller and was an early front-runner for the female lead in “Captain America 2“.

Nina Arianda, Anna Kendrick and more take part in reading of Rob Marshall’s “Into the Woods” musical adaptation

October 2, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

“Les Miserables” is on its way, and now “Into the Woods” is ready to follow in its footsteps. Director Rob Marshall has committed to filming the famous Stephen Sondhein Broadway musical for the big screen, and yesterday, Broadway World (via The Playlist) reports, a star-studded reading of the screenplay kicked things off.

The cast in attendance at yesterday’s reading, in alphabetical order, are: Nina Arianda as The Baker’s Wife; Christine Baranski as the Stepmother; Tammy Blanchard as Florinda; Victoria Clark as Cinderella’s Mother/Giant; James Corden as the Baker; David Garrison as the Narrator; Ivan Hernandez as the Wolf; Megan Hilty as Lucinda; Cheyenne Jackson as Rapunzel’s Prince; Allison Janney as Jack’s Mother; Anna Kendrick as Cinderella; Michael McGrath as the Steward/Baker’s Father; Donna Murphy as the Witch; Laura Osnes as Rapunzel; Taylor Trensch as Jack; Casey Whyland as Little Red Riding Hood; and Patrick Wilson as Cinderella’s Prince.

None of the actors are actually confirmed to be starring in the film itself just yet, though Broadway World reports one person who is in talks to star in the film – for the lead role of The Witch – is none other than Meryl Streep. If you ask us, the twisted fairy tale adaptation could do a lot worse than the cast Marshall put together for this reading.

Both Arianda and Kendrick are intriguing inclusions here, as both have Broadway experience and have been garnering more and more attention on the big screen. Kendrick scored a Tony nomination at the age of 12 for her role in musical “High Society”, and Arianda won the Tony just last year for “Venus in Fur.” Kendrick recently showed off her pipes in current a capella comedy “Pitch Perfect”, and Arianda will be doing some singing as Janis Joplin in biopic “Joplin” next year.

Watch: Anna Kendrick helps Shia LaBeouf track down Robert Redford in first trailer for “The Company You Keep”

August 30, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos 1 Comment

Robert Redford is a wanted man and Shia LaBeouf is on his trail in the first trailer for Venice and Toronto-bound political thriller “The Company You Keep.” Redford also directed the film that follows his character, a former Weather Underground activist wanted for decades old crimes. When fellow former activist Susan Sarandon is arrested, he senses his time might be up soon, especially when LaBeouf’s eager young reporter sniffs out his trail, with a little help from Anna Kendrick, a former college hook-up who now has FBI clearance.

The trailer promises an exciting cat and mouse chase and mystery solving, and also features “America’s Got Talent” kid singer Jackie Evancho as Redford’s daughter. Brit Marling, at one point purported to be the female lead of the film, is conspicuously missing. “The Company You Keep” premieres at the Venice Film Festival on September 6th, then at the Toronto Film Festival on September 8th, and was recently picked up for US distribution by Sony Pictures Classics, so an Oscar season release may be in the cards.

Watch the first trailer below.

Anna Kendrick, Felicity Jones, Imogen Poots front-runners for “Captain America 2″ female lead?

August 19, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 9 Comments

Now that “Iron Man 3″ filming is underway and “Thor: The Dark World” is well on its way to production, attention turns to casting on “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, the sequel to Joe Johnston’s hit Marvel “Avengers” prequel that saw Chris Evans as the quintessential American soldier and superhero leader.

With Evans back on board and Sebastian Stan most likely reprising his role as Bucky Barnes, who eventually becomes the titular Winter Soldier, as well as Anthony Mackie joining the team as Falcon, the search now turns to the female lead. The identity of the role is not revealed but has been speculated to be that of Sharon Carter, SHIELD agent and love interest to Evans’ Rogers, and descendant of his first love Peggy (played by Hayley Atwell in the first film). Page Six reports three young actresses who are considered front-runners for the role are Anna Kendrick, Felicity Jones and Imogen Poots. Anthony and Joseph Russo will direct “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, with a release already set for April 4, 2014.

Jones and Poots are no strangers to shortlists. Jones, who broke out in Drake Doremus’ improv romance drama “Like Crazy”, most recently lost out on the female lead role in Kenneth Branagh’s “Jack Ryan” reboot to Keira Knightley, though she did win out over Poots – who has appeared in “Fright Night” and currently shot footage for Terrence Malick’s “Knight of Cups” – for the lead role in Ralph Fiennes’ Charles Dickens biopic “The Invisible Woman.” Kendrick, though critically lauded, has seemed to have a hard time breaking into leading lady status, often playing quirky, supporting roles in comedies instead. One of those roles – opposite George Clooney in Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air” – did win her an Oscar nomination, so it’s obviously working for her, but the female lead role in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” would still certainly be a major breakthrough for her.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Anna Kendrick star in TIFF-released images for cop drama “End of Watch”

July 24, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Images 1 Comment

Taking the found footage genre away from the supernatural and into law enforcement, ”End of Watch” stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña and Anna Kendrick and it was announced today the film would premiere at Toronto International Film Festival.

Directed by David Ayers, the films stars Gyllenhaal and Peña as partner police officers who patrol some of the meanest streets in LA. When they inadvertently stumble upon something more dangerous than expected, they and their families – with Anna Kendrick and Natalie Martinez playing wives to Gyllenhaal and Pena, respectively – are put in danger.

The first trailer was released back in early May and the film has a release date of September 28th, just as TIFF ends.

Click below for more images which TIFF released today.

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