Anthony Mackie joins Bill Condon’s Wikileaks movie, now titled “The Fifth Estate”; first image released

January 22, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting, Images 2 Comments

UPDATED: The first official image from the film has been added.

Well this movie just keeps getting better and better. In a press release today announcing the start of principal photography on “The Fifth Estate”, the previously untitled Wikileaks movie directed by Bill Condon, it’s revealed that Anthony Mackie has joined the cast that already boasts Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Bruhl and Alicia Vikander.

Cumberbatch will play Julian Assange and Bruhl his one-time right hand man, Daniel Domscheit-Berg. The Dreamworks film is taking its source material from Domscheit-Berg’s “Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World’s Most Dangerous Website” and “WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy” by David Leigh and Luke Harding, British journalists who worked at The Guardian and helped Assanage publish his first findings. Vikander will play a co-worker and eventual love interest to Bruhl’s charcter, while “Downton Abbey” star Dan Stevens will play a hacker friend of Domscheit-Berg’s who eventually comes to work with the Wikileaks team. There’s no word on who other cast members including Mackie, Laura Linney, David Thewlis, Peter Capaldi, and Carice van Houten will play. “The Fifth Estate” has also just been set for a November 15, 2013 release.

Mackie will film this first before heading to Cleveland in April to play the Falcon opposite Chris Evans, who reprises his role as Steve Rogers in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” The two also recently wrapped up filming on “A Many Splintered Thing” together. Mackie is currently on screen in “Gangster Squad” opposite Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone and will next be seen opposite Mark Wahlberg in Michael Bay’s “Pain & Gain.”

Meanwhile, the first official image featuring Cumberbatch and Bruhl has been released and can be viewed below.

“Downton Abbey” star Dan Stevens joins Bill Condon’s Wikileaks film opposite Benedict Cumberbatch

December 19, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

Team Wikileaks adds another member as Variety reports “Downton Abbey” star Dan Stevens is the latest cast member to join Bill Condon’s untitled film about the founding of the whistleblower website and its controversial leader, Julian Assange. British rising star Benedict Cumberbatch is on board to play Assange, with German actor Daniel Bruhl as Assange’s onetime right-hand man Daniel Domscheit-Berg and Alicia Vikander as a co-worker and love interest to Bruhl’s character.

The Dreamworks film is taking its source material from Domscheit-Berg’s “Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World’s Most Dangerous Website” and “WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy” by David Leigh and Luke Harding, British journalists who worked at The Guardian and helped Assanage publish his first findings. Stevens will play a hacker friend of Domscheit-Berg’s who eventually comes to work with the Wikileaks team. Filming is scheduled to begin in January.

Stevens, who plays the key role of Matthew Crawley on hit series “Downton Abbey”, is currently starring opposite Jessica Chastain on Broadway in “The Heiress”. He has declined to return to the show that has made him a star in its fourth season, and will be seen next year on the big screen in period romantic drama “Summer in February” opposite Emily Browning and Dominic Cooper.

Alicia Vikander joins Bill Condon’s Wikileaks film opposite Benedict Cumberbatch

December 14, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 3 Comments

Bill Condon continues to build an impressive cast for his still untitled film about the founding of Wikileaks and its controversial leader, Julian Assange. With British actor Benedict Cumberbatch set as Assange and German actor Daniel Bruhl as his right-hand man Daniel Domscheit-Berg, Variety now reports Swedish rising star Alicia Vikander has joined the cast as well.

The Dreamworks film is taking its source material from Domscheit-Berg’s “Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World’s Most Dangerous Website” and “WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy” by David Leigh and Luke Harding, British journalists who worked at The Guardian and helped Assanage publish his first findings. Vikander will play a co-worker and eventual love interest of Domscheit-Berg’s. Production is aiming for a January start.

Vikander first caught our attention back in 2010 when she was shortlisted for “Snow White and the Huntsman”, and has since proven on screen what filmmakers initially saw in the unknown actress. This year she puts in two awards-worthy performances, in Joe Wright’s “Anna Karenina” and the Danish Foreign-Language Oscar entry “A Royal Affair” and she’ll get her first crack at studio fare when she stars opposite Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore in next year’s “The Seventh Son.” She also may get a chance to play a fairy tale princess after all as she is one of three contenders Mark Romanek is considering to be his “Cinderella.”

Daniel Bruhl replaces James McAvoy in Bill Condon’s Wikileaks film, joining Benedict Cumberbatch

November 28, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Though he had been in negotiations for Bill Condon’s Wikileaks origin tale, James McAvoy won’t be able to play Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange’s right hand man after all. He’s set to play Charles Xavier in Bryan Singer’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past” early next year, just as Condon’s film begins shooting. Instead, THR reports, German actor Daniel Bruhl is now finalizing a deal to play Daniel Domscheit-Berg.

The Dreamworks film is taking its source material from Domscheit-Berg’s “Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World’s Most Dangerous Website” and “WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy” by David Leigh and Luke Harding, British journalists who worked at The Guardian and helped Assanage publish his first findings. Production is being fast-tracked and aiming for a January start.

Bruhl caught the attention of Hollywood following a turn opposite Melanie Laurent in Quentin Tarantino’s Oscar nominated “Inglourious Basterds” and recently wrapped up shooting Ron Howard’s Formula One racing biopic “Rush”, in which he played legendary racer Niki Lauda opposite Chris Hemsworth, who played James Hunt, as well as John Le Carre adaptation “A Most Wanted Man” opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman and Rachel McAdams.

James McAvoy joining Benedict Cumberbatch in Bill Condon’s Wikileaks film

November 9, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 3 Comments

Benedict Cumberbatch is set to play Julian Assange and James McAvoy is in talks to play his right hand man Daniel Domscheit-Berg in Bill Condon’s untitled film about the founding of Wikileaks, reports Variety. “The Killing” star and new Robocop Joel Kinnaman had been rumored for the role of Domscheit-Berg earlier, but McAvoy is the one who’s getting the part.

Dreamworks is taking its source material from Domscheit-Berg’s “Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World’s Most Dangerous Website” and “WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy” by David Leigh and Luke Harding, British journalists who worked at The Guardian and helped Assanage publish his first findings. Meanwhile, other filmmakers and even Assange himself remain at work on their own retellings of the formation of the whistleblowing organization, but it looks like Dreamworks has the edge by being the first. Filming is slated for next year, and will work around McAvoy’s “X-Men” sequel schedule.

McAvoy will reprise his role as Professor Xavier in “X-Men: Days of Future Past”, recently confirmed to be directed by original “X-Men” director Bryan Singer. He also recently wrapped up filming on a pair of films, “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him” and “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her” opposite Jessica Chastain, as well as Danny Boyle’s heist thriller “Trance.”

Jeremy Renner out, Benedict Cumberbatch and Joel Kinnaman in for Bill Condon’s Wikileaks film?

October 2, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 4 Comments

Back in July, we got word that Dreamworks and director Bill Condon were meeting with the ever in demand Jeremy Renner about taking on the role of Julian Assange in a planned Wikileaks film, but could that all be changing now?

Deadline reports the studio is now seriously looking at British actor Benedict Cumberbatch for the role of Assange, and Swedish rising star Joel Kinnaman for the role of Assange’s former right hand man, Daniel Domscheit-Berg. But, they caution, the studio would confirm nothing and it seems Renner really isn’t completely out of the conversation yet, so this is all far from finalized.

Benedict, the acclaimed star of BBC’s “Sherlock”, recently wrapped up the villain role in JJ Abrams’ sequel “Star Trek Into Darkness” and will play ‘Little’ Charles Aiken opposite Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts in “August: Osage County.” Kinnaman, who caught the industry’s attention in AMC series “The Killing”, is currently filming Jose Padilha’s remake of “Robocop.”

Jeremy Renner may play Julian Assange in WikiLeaks film

July 23, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 4 Comments

It’s one of the hottest, most timely of topics, and now WikiLeaks may have met the face of its Hollywood immortalization. Deadline reports Dreamworks Studios is eyeing Jeremy Renner to star as controversial founder Julian Assange in a big screen retelling of the formation of the whistleblowing organization. Additionally, the studio is also said to be in negotiations with Oscar-winning director Bill Condon to step behind the camera.

The studio purchased the rights to two WikiLeaks related books in preparation for their film, “Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World’s Most Dangerous Website” by Daniel Domscheit-Berg, a former WikiLeaks executive, and “WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy” by David Leigh and Luke Harding, British journalists who worked at The Guardian and helped Assanage publish his first findings.

Naturally, Dreamworks are not the only film company seeking to tell Assange’s story. The man himself has been contracted to write his own memoirs, with screen rights being handled by CAA, though that may be years down the line as he’s still embroiled in legal issues from several different angles. “The Hurt Locker” writer Mark Boal has also optioned “The Boy Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest”, which examines Assange’s dealings with The New York Times, and Universal Pictures will stick to just the facts, picking up a documentary on the subject. But it appears Dreamworks, perhaps with Condon and Renner in tow, will have the head start on the dramatization side.

If a deal comes together, the polarizing Assange will be right up Renner’s alley, who has proven himself capable of the kind of gravitas it takes to not only convincingly play complex characters but also have the charisma to headline high profile studio fare. Already having earned his indie cred with Oscar-nominated roles in “The Hurt Locker” and “The Town”, he’s moving into that blockbuster becoming-a-movie-star phase of his career with roles in “The Avengers” and soon to be released “The Bourne Legacy.” Something like this WikiLeaks film – and the upcoming David O. Russell directed (soon to be retitled) “American Bullshit” opposite Bradley Cooper – seems to hit the sweet spot between both extremes.

New images from “Breaking Dawn Part II” including first look at Mackenzie Foy as miracle baby Renesmee

June 13, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

Immortal, impossibly strong and cute as a button to boot. Edward and Bella sure do know how to procreate. The miracle half-human, half-vampire spawn of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart’s finally married Cullen couple is all grown up and played by child actress Mackenzie Foy in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II”, the final installment of the vampire saga that has spawned 3 books, 4 movies, millions of screaming fans and billions of dollars in revenue.

Today EW has unveiled the cover of their new issue, which has our first look at Foy as little Nessie, flanked by her protective (and now fully vampirized) parents, as well as new stills that show her sharing a moment with Taylor Lautner’s Jacob, the guy who liked her mom but then imprinted on her when she was a baby and will act as a protective big brother figure… for now. Ew.

“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II”, directed back to back with Part I by Bill Condon, also brings in a bunch of old and new friends and foes, including Dakota Fanning as evil vampire Jane, Maggie Grace as the scorned Denali vampire Irina, Lee Pace as fan favorite Garrett and more. The Twilight Saga wraps up Edward and Bella’s story on November 16, 2012 and you can see the new images, courtesy of EW, below.

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart get close on first “Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn” teaser posters

September 8, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

Just two months to go before the beginning of the end for Edward and Bella’s vampire shenanigans in “The Twilight Saga” and today, the first set of teaser posters for the first part of that final installment, “Breaking Dawn”, have been released by Yahoo! Movies. Robert Pattinson as vegetarian vampire Edward Cullen and Kristen Stewart as his human love Bella Swan cuddle close and show off some new bling: wedding rings. Yes, spoiler alert, Edward and Bella finally get married and … you know how it goes. “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the miracle half-vampire half-human baby who daddy has to chew through mommy’s womb to deliver.” As you can see, we have very good reasons to look forward to this movie. Don’t let us down, Bill Condon.

On his own solo poster is Taylor Lautner as Jacob, now a lone wolf in more ways than one as Bella moves on to marry Edward and he simultaneously becomes estranged with and banished from his pack of werewolf buddies.

Yahoo also promises to premiere the theatrical trailer for the film next Tuesday, September 13th. See full versions of both new posters below.

First Look: Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart get naked in first “Breaking Dawn” image

January 16, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

Talk about starting things off with a bang. The first officially released image from “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn” gets right down to it and shows us Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart as newlyweds Edward and Bella on their honeymoon, doing what newlyweds do. First published in this week’s Entertainment Weekly, the choice of scene was well-calculated by director Bill Condon. “It’s one of the most anticipated scenes,” Condon tells the magazine. “I spent a tremendous amount of time thinking about it. The anticipation is part of it and you want to play with what people expect and maybe subvert it a little and surprise them.”

“Breaking Dawn” finds Edward and Bella (SPOILER ALERT for those living under a rock)

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