Wanna Fight? Ryan Gosling in Red Band Trailer for “Only God Forgives”

April 3, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos Leave a comment

onlygodforgives

“Drive” actor and director duo Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn wasted no time in teaming up for a second time, and judging by the first red band trailer for “Only God Forgives”, fans of the pair’s first collaboration should be more than satisfied. Richly saturated colors, slow and deliberate pacing, stylized and fluid and slick and sharp and oh yes, violent, this trailer has shot this highly anticipated film even higher up our list.

Gosling plays Julian, an Englishman living in Thailand who runs a Thai boxing club, which is only a front for a major drug smuggling ring. His creepy mother is played by Kristin Scott Thomas, who does voice-over for this tense, subdued and artful trailer, and he may or may not be facing off with Vithaya Pansringarm, who’s seen wielding some scary swords in between Karaoke sessions.

So, is it July 19th yet? In the meantime, you can watch the trailer (over and over again) below.

“Mad Men” Star Christina Hendricks to Headline “A Book of Common Prayer”

March 5, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

christina-hendricks Christina Hendricks continues landing intriguing big screen roles as THR reports the “Mad Men” actress will headline a new adaptation of Joan Didion’s “A Book of Common Prayer.”

Campbell Scott will direct the film, which was adapted by Joyce McKee and Rachel LeMin. Hendricks will play Charlotte Douglas, an American woman who travels to the fictional Central American country of Boca Grande, which is on the verge of revolution, believing she will be reunited with her runaway daughter. A second female lead role, Grace Strasser-Mendana, a fellow American who married into wealth and rule and knows all the country’s secrets, remains to be cast.

Hendricks, who plays Joan Holloway on AMC’s long-running, award-winning “Mad Men” and who has been nominated for an Emmy twice for the role, most recently appeared on the big screen in “Ginger and Rosa” opposite Elle Fanning. She’s currently shooting the lead role in Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut, “How to Catch a Monster.” The two previously acted together in Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive.” “Mad Men” returns for its sixth season on April 7th.

Oscar Isaac and Jason Clarke journey into the “Mojave” for psychological thriller

December 4, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 3 Comments

Rising stars Oscar Isaac and Jason Clarke are teaming up for psychological thriller “Mojave”, according to Variety.

The two-hander is described as intense, and follows “a man who escapes into the desert only to encounter a doppelganger-like antagonist and subsequently enter a vortex of criminality and violence.” No word on who’s good and who’s evil, but Isaac and Clarke as doppelgangers? I guess I can kind of see it… William Monahan wrote and will direct, with production slated to begin begin in early 2013.

Clarke was last seen in John Hillcoat’s “Lawless” and will soon hunt for Osama Bin Laden opposite Jessica Chastain in Kathryn Bigelow’s Oscar favorite “Zero Dark Thirty.” He recently wrapped up shooting on Terrence Malick-produced early Lincoln biopic “The Green Blade Rises”, as well as Baz Luhrmann’s 3D “The Great Gatsby.”

Isaac last appeared in “Drive”, “W.E.” and Channing Tatum’s ensemble drama “10 Years”, for which he wrote and performed an Oscar-eligible original song. That musicality also served him well when he played the lead in the Coen Brothers’ upcoming 1960s musical drama “Inside Llewyn Davis.” He also recently wrapped up shooting on thriller “Two Faces of January” with Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst and French Victorian drama “Therese” opposite Elizabeth Olsen.

Ryan Gosling to make directorial debut on “How to Catch a Monster” starring “Drive” co-star Christina Hendricks

August 29, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Is Ryan Gosling finally making his directorial debut? Years after toying with directing his own script “The Lord’s Resistance Army”, about child soldiers in Uganda, it was announced via press release from TIFF today Gosling is now attached to direct a new script he’s written, a “modern day fairytale” called “How to Catch a Monster.” The soon-to-be multi-hyphenate has also attached “Mad Men” actress and his “Drive” co-star Christina Hendricks to star in the film.

Production is scheduled for the Spring of 2013, with Hendricks in the role of Billy, a single mother of two in a fantastical vanishing city who is “swept into a macabre and dark fantasy underworld while her teenage son discovers a secret road leading to an underwater town. Both Billy and Bones must dive deep into the mystery, if their family is to survive.”

“Ryan Gosling has established himself as a dynamic talent onscreen with incredible instincts, and that ability to connect with audiences will serve him well in the director’s chair.” said producer Nick Meyer. “We are excited to be involved with the next phase of his career and look forward to bringing his directorial debut to the international marketplace.”

Gosling is one of the few actors who’s been able to shed teen heartthrob status after starring in Nicholas Sparks adaptation “The Notebook”, going on to much more serious and dark films including “Half Nelson”, for which he was nominated for an Oscar, and 2011′s “Drive” and “Ides of March.” Hendricks, most known for her Emmy-nominated role as Joan on AMC’s hit series “Mad Men”, will also be seen in the TIFF-bound “Ginger and Rosa” starring Elle Fanning and Alice Englert.

Carey Mulligan in talks for black comedy “Nancy and Danny”

August 15, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 3 Comments

Carey Mulligan is in negotiations to star in indie black comedy/thriller “Nancy and Danny”, according to THR.

James Marsh is on board to direct the film written by Brad Inglesby, which is set in a small town. Mulligan will play a money-hungry woman whose big city dreams have failed and she’s returned in an attempt to land her high school crush. In order to do that, she “uses a hapless man as a pawn in a get-rich-quick scheme that quickly goes wrong.” Described as being in the vein of Gus Van Sant’s “To Die For”, the plot sounds vaguely more similar to Jason Reitman’s “Young Adult”, if you ask me. It must have something special, as THR reports Mulligan pursued the project.

There’s no word on a start date yet, though as surely in demand as Mulligan is, her upcoming slate is free and clear at the moment. After landing the breakout role of a lifetime – as well as an Oscar nomination – for “An Education”, Mulligan went on to impress further in films including “Never Let Me Go“, “Drive” and “Shame.” This year she has wrapped up shooting the Coen Brothers’ 1960s folk music drama “Inside Llewyn Davis”, as well as the role of Daisy in Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby.” Both are now scheduled for 2013 releases after “Gatsby” was bumped from December.

Oscar Isaac to star in “Two Faces of January” opposite Viggo Mortensen

June 29, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Oscar Isaac will star opposite Viggo Mortensen in thriller “Two Faces of January”, according to Variety. It’s a reunion for Isaac and Hossein Amini, the screenwriter of “Drive” who will be making his directorial debut on this project. Based on the Patricia Highsmith novel, the story follows “a con artist, his wife and a stranger who try to flee a foreign country after one of them is caught up in the murder of a police officer.” Filming is slated for the end of this year.

Increasingly becoming an in demand actor, the star of “Drive” and “W.E.” famously landed a major role in Tony Gilroy’s “The Bourne Legacy” after the director wasn’t able to convince the studio to let him cast Isaac as the lead. Jeremy Renner took that job, but Isaac did land the lead in the Coen Brothers’ new movie, “Inside Llewyn Davis”, as well as the male lead opposite Elizabeth Olsen in period drama/thriller “Therese” (formerly “Therese Raquin”). Both of those have wrapped up, and Isaac can next be seen in ensemble dramedy “Ten Year” and “Won’t Back Down” opposite Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

“Crazy Stupid Love” filmmakers want Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone to reunite for a third time in “Focus”

April 20, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

We all loved Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in “Crazy Stupid Love”, and can’t wait to see them together again in “Gangster Squad”, but is the world ready for a third dose of Gosling/Stone? The filmmakers behind their first collaboration certainly hope so. Deadline reports Glenn Ficarra and John Requa have made a deal to direct their script “Focus” for Warner Bros, and they are hoping Gosling and Stone will join them.

“Focus” is set in the world cons and tells the story of a veteran conman who gets romantically involved with a newcomer. Things don’t work out but complications ensue when they are reunited in the future. Presumably Ficarra and Requa are eyeing Gosling for the pro and Stone as the newcomer, though Deadline reiterates that things have not progressed that far with the studio yet.

Gosling and Stone completed filming on Ruben Fleischer’s “Gangster Squad” earlier this year and there is no release date yet. Stone is one of the most sought-after young comedic actresses today after breaking out in a major way in “Easy A”, which landed her a Golden Globe nomination. This summer she’ll be seen as Gwen Stacy in Marc Webb’s reboot “The Amazing Spider-Man”, and she’s reportedly one of the favorites to play the female lead opposite Johnny Depp in Rob Marshall’s “The Thin Man.” Gosling is currently in Thailand shooting boxing drama “Only God Forgives” with his “Drive” director Nicholas Winding Refn, and the two are set to work together a third time on a remake of “Logan’s Run.” This fall he’ll also shoot Terrence Malick’s newest feature, formerly titled “Lawless”, opposite Christian Bale and Natalie Portman.

Oscar Isaac to romance Elizabeth Olsen in 19th century thriller “Therese Raquin”

March 23, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Elizabeth Olsen has landed herself a hunky lover and co-conspirator in period romance/drama/thriller “Therese Raquin”, Deadline reports. Fast rising star Oscar Isaac has joined the cast that also includes Tom Felton and Jessica Lange – apparently taking over for Glenn Close – in the role of Laurent.

Olsen stars in the title role in the film adapted from the Emile Zola novel and to be directed by Charlie Stratton, as a young woman in 19th century France forced by her aunt (Lange) into marrying her first cousin Camille (Felton), a sick and spoiled young man. When Therese and her lover Laurent (Isaac) murder her husband and run away together, the ghost of her dead husband haunts them from beyond the grave until their relationship is poisoned and unravels as well.

Isaac was seen last year in Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive” and Madonna’s “W.E.” and famously came close to landing the lead role in Tony Gilroy’s “The Bourne Legacy” spin-off. Jeremy Renner took that role, but Gilroy was so impressed by Isaac he cast him in a strong supporting role anyway. He just wrapped up shooting the Coen Brothers’ 1960s folk music drama “Inside Llewyn Davis” opposite Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan.

Carey Mulligan circling role opposite Joaquin Phoenix in mysterious untitled Spike Jonze film

February 1, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Carey Mulligan is building quite the career with interesting role choice and working with some of the best talent in the industry. That trend continues now as Deadline reports the Oscar nominated actress is in discussions to star with Joaquin Phoenix in a secretive film written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Spike Jonze. Samantha Morton and Amy Adams are also circling roles.

Very little is known about the film, but Deadline speculates – based on info gathered late last year – that it is a satire revolving around world leaders who get together to map out worldwide seismic events, from gas prices to wars.

Since bursting onto the scene in “An Education”, which garnered her an Oscar nod for Best Actress, Mulligan has nary missed a step (we’ll forgive her for “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”). In 2011 she turned in two more Oscar worthy performances, as Ryan Gosling’s dream girl in “Drive” and Michael Fassbender’s out of control little sister in “Shame.” She’ll be seen as Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” this December and is currently filming folk music drama “Inside Llewyn Davis” for the Coen Brothers.

BAFTA nominations solidify Oscar frontrunners, boost “Drive”, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

January 17, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Awards Leave a comment

The support for Nicolas Winding Refn’s violent, stylish arthouse action flick “Drive” was perhaps the biggest – and most pleasant – surprise to us when the British Academy of Film and Television announced their nominations for the 2012 Film Awards this morning. The film scored unexpected nominations for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress for Carey Mulligan. “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” was also well-deservedly represented, nominated for Best Film, Best British Film, Best Director, Best Actor – Gary Oldman, Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as a bevy of below-the-line noms.

The usual suspects – aka Oscar hopefuls – were also well represented here, including our Breakout Stars Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer of “The Help” receiving expected Best Supporting Actress nominations. Both are expected to repeat on Oscar nomination morning a week from now. Melissa McCarthy, an on-the-bubble hopeful in the same category for “Bridesmaids”, got a big boost from BAFTA here with a nomination. “The Artist” continues its seemingly unstoppable march towards Oscar, with Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Jean Dujardin and Best (Lead, not Supporting) Actress for Berenice Bejo, among many other category nominations. Jonah Hill took a turn for the serious in “Moneyball” and is recognized by BAFTA in the Best Supporting Actor category as well – he is now well on his way to his first Oscar nomination.

The full list of nominations are below. The winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on Sunday, February 12 at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

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