The Young Lovers of Nicholas Sparks Adaptations: A Retrospective

February 13, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Features Leave a comment

sparks-safehaven

As Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel prepare to embark upon being star-crossed lovers in a film adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel – “Safe Haven”, opening on Valentine’s Day – we look back at the tragic lovebirds who came before them. Sparks movies are critical flops and box office successes but seem to be hit and miss when it comes to creating stars. For the purpose of this study, we’ll omit the two Sparks adaptations which starred established stars. Kevin Costner, Robin Wright, Richard Gere and Diane Lane are doing just fine, thank you very much.

Are Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams still the most iconic of Sparks couples? How have Sparks adaptations helped or hurt the careers of the likes of Mandy Moore, Shane West, Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried? Hough and Duhamel are two actors whose careers could certainly use a breakout-style boost, but as we will show here, leading a Sparks adaptation is no guarantee of movie stardom. We’ll see how they fare when “Safe Haven” is released tomorrow, but for now, let’s take a look back at the couples who came before them.

Start Here: A Walk to Remember, 2002 >>

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UPDATED: Amanda Seyfried in final negotiations for Cosette in Tom Hooper’s “Les Miserables”

January 3, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

UPDATE: Deadline updates that Seyfried is now in final negotiations, so it looks like we have our Cosette!

One of the last two pieces in the “Les Miserables” casting puzzle may finally be falling into place. Despite reports that Tom Hooper was having a hard time finding a well-known young actress who had the vocal chops to pull off the role of Cosette, and had actually began to hold open casting calls, Twitch Film now reports it is indeed someone quite familiar to moviegoing audiences who has been offered the role. Amanda Seyfried, who has some experience headlining big screen musicals after playing the lead in “Mamma Mia!” opposite Meryl Streep in 2008, may play the sheltered daughter of Anne Hathaway’s Fantine and love interest to Eddie Redmayne’s student revolutionary Marius.

Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe will play escaped convict Jean Valjean and police inspector Javert, respectively, the lifelong rivalry at the heart of the international blockbuster musical, based on the novel by Victor Hugo. In the latter part of their lives, they become embroiled in the onset of a revolution led by the charismatic and idealistic Enjolras, to be played by Broadway star Aaron Tveit. With Seyfried’s potential casting, one last lead role remains to be filled: that of the tragic street urchin Eponine, who is in unrequited love with Redmayne’s Marius. Last we heard, four actresses were in the running for the part: Evan Rachel Wood, Scarlett Johansson, Lea Michele and Taylor Swift. With rehearsals beginning this month and filming set for March, things will hopefully firm up soon.

Seyfried will have to do her own signing, just like the rest of the cast, which shouldn’t be a problem for the actress, who has studied opera and taken voice lessons. She’s contributed songs to the soundtracks of some of her movies, including – but of course – “Mamma Mia!”, “Dear John” and “Red Riding Hood.” Most recently seen opposite Justin Timberlake in sci-fi thriller “In Time”, Seyfried will soon begin filming on “Lovelace”, one of two competing biopics about famous porn star Linda Lovelace.

Watch: Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams reenact every Nicholas Sparks movie ever in new “The Vow” trailer

November 17, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos Leave a comment

These Nicholas Sparks jokes, they write themselves. The second trailer for weepy romantic drama “The Vow” doesn’t even try to hide the fact that Sparks is where it’s at, decreeing stars Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum as “From ‘The Notebook’” and “From ‘Dear John’”, respectively. The storyline, too, feels ripped from the pages of a Sparks novel, though it feebly claims to be inspired by true events. Tatum and McAdams play a happily married couple whose world crumbles after a car accident leaves her without any memory of their relationship. He must then make her fall in love with him all over again while keeping her from falling for her ex-fiance (Scott Speedman), who she thinks is still her current fiance thanks to the amnesia.

Sounds like a weepy, sappy, overwrought and melodramatic two hours right? Oh who am I kidding. See you at the movies, Valentine’s Day 2012.

Amanda Seyfried the latest starlet attached to star as porn star Linda Lovelace in biopic

November 1, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” isn’t the only project that has trouble hanging onto actresses. There’s been two dueling biopics about 1970s porn star Linda Lovelace in development for years, but thus far neither has managed to get anything past the pre-production stage. Today there is apparently movement on one of them, as Variety reports Amanda Seyfried has replaced formerly attached Kate Hudson in “Lovelace.” Peter Sarsgaard is also in talks to play her pornographer husband Chuck Traynor.

Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman will direct the film which is adapted from Eric Danville’s book “The Complete Linda Lovelace” by W. Merritt Johnson and Andy Bellin. Hudson had been attached to the role before becoming pregnant, and as she fell out, James Franco – originally attached to Traynor – did as well. A rival project from writer-director Matthew Wilder, “Inferno”, has had Malin Akerman attached since last November and has had its share of actress-revolving-doors as well, with Akerman replacing Lindsay Lohan. Anna Faris, Rose McGowan and Olivia Wilde had all had something to do with one or the other at one point as well.

Seyfried, one of the lackey “Mean Girls” of 2004 and Meryl Streep’s daughter in big screen musical “Mamma Mia!”, recently made a name for herself playing the leading lady in weepy romantic dramas like “Dear John” and “Letters to Juliet”. She can currently be seen opposite Justin Timberlake in Andrew Niccol’s futuristic sci-fi thriller “In Time.”

Channing Tatum in talks for crime drama “Foxcatcher” opposite Steve Carell

October 18, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Steve Carell and Channing Tatum: an odd couple on their own and not exactly names synonymous with the word Oscar. But that could change a year from now as The LA Times reports the two are teaming up for starmaking director Bennett Miller’s “Moneyball” follow-up: “Foxcatcher”, a true life murder/crime drama. Variety reported on Carell’s casting in September.

In the script by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, Carell will play John du Pont, a millionaire heir and sports enthusiast who was also a paranoid schizophrenic and inexplicably shot and killed Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler David Schultz (Tatum) in 1996. The two were good friends and no motive was ever established for the shooting, which took place at the wrestling training facility called Team Foxcatcher on his Pennsylvania estate and was witnessed by Schultz’s wife and du Pont’s head of security. Du Pont locked himself away in his mansion and talked with police negotiators by phone for two days after the shooting. He died in prison last year at the age of 72.

Shooting is tentatively scheduled to begin in early 2012.

Tatum will take a turn for the serious and prestigious if his deal closes on “Foxcatcher”, thus far known for lighter commercial fare such as “Step Up”, “Dear John” and “G.I. Joe.” He’ll next be seen in weepy romance drama “The Vow” with Rachel McAdams and two films with Steven Soderbergh: all-star actioner “Haywire” and “Magic Mike”, based on Tatum’s own experiences working as a male stripper at age 19. He’s also got two projects he produced, “Ten Year”, which he premiered at TIFF, and “21 Jump Street”, co-starring Jonah Hill and based on the classic TV series that launched the career of Johnny Depp.

Amanda Seyfried to appear with Jesse Eisenberg in magician heist thriller “Now You See Me”

August 4, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

No simple card tricks here. Variety reports Amanda Seyfried is in negotiations to play a master of illusion in magician heist thriller “Now You See Me”, joining Jesse Eisenberg and Melanie Laurent. Recent Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo has also entered negotiations for the ensemble picture to be directed by Louis Leterrier.

In the film, which revolves around a group of world class illusionists who pull off bank robberies during their elaborate shows and end each performance by showering their audience with the stolen money, Seyfried will play the group’s technician, who builds the contraptions that enable their performances. Presumably Eisenberg and Laurent will also be magicians, while Ruffalo will play the leader of the FBI agents assigned to track down the thieves. There should be at least one more male lead role to be cast; it was once offered to Jake Gyllenhaal, who ultimately passed.

Seyfried, one of the lackey “Mean Girls” of 2004, recently made a name for herself playing the leading lady in weepy romantic dramas like “Dear John” and “Letters to Juliet”. She is currently filming “The Big Wedding” (previously “Gently Down the Stream”) with Robert De Niro, Topher Grace and Susan Saradon and will next be seen in sci-fi actioner “In Time” (formerly “Im.mortal” and “Now”), which releases on October 28th.

Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum combine Nicholas Sparks alumni powers in first trailer for “The Vow”

June 3, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos Leave a comment

So, “The Vow” isn’t actually based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. But judging by the premise and this first look trailer, you just know Sparks is sitting somewhere feeling like someone owes him some royalties. The story revolves around a happily married couple whose world crumples after a car accident leaves her without any memory of their relationship. He must then make her fall in love with him all over again while keeping her from falling for another man. Two Sparks alumni are even on board for the – when else? – Valentine’s Day 2012 release. Rachel McAdams, of “The Notebook” fame, plays the amnesiac wife, while Channing Tatum, who romanced Amdanda Seyfried in “Dear John”, is the desperate husband.

So rest assured, Sparks fans, you won’t have to wait until “TBA 2012″ for your next fix of the sappy and romantic (in the Zac Efron starrer “The Lucky One”). Your next Valentine’s Day evening just got made!

dear john