Boyd Holbrook to Star in “Little Accidents”, Joins “Jane Got a Gun”

June 3, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

boyd-holbrook Busy rising star Boyd Holbrook has booked a pair of upcoming roles, according to The Wrap. The Kentucky-born model turned actor has joined troubled Western “Jane Got a Gun” opposite Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor and Joel Edgerton, as well as indie drama “Little Accidents” in which he’ll play the lead role opposite Elizabeth Banks.

Holbrook will shoot the already filming “Jane” first for director Gavin O’Connor. After a serious case of cast and crew musical chairs, lensing is now underway in New Mexico on the tale of a woman (Portman) who must defend her home after a violent gang of outlaws (led by McGregor) pursues her injured husband. She turns to an ex-lover (Edgerton) for help. Holbrook will play McGregor’s younger brother, presumably another member of his gang.

In “Little Accidents”, Holbrook will play a young coal miner who survives a tragic accident that killed all 12 other miners. Banks will play a woman whose son went missing in the accident and turns to Holbrook’s character for comfort. The Wrap also notes the role may have personal poinancy for Holbrook whose father was a coal miner. Sara Colangelo wrote and will direct “Little Accidents”, adapted from her own Sundance award-winning short film.

Holbook is one of our Faces to Watch in 2013, with roles in Andrew Niccol’s sci-fi actioner “The Host” starring Saoirse Ronan, Naomi Foner’s Sundance premiere “Very Good Girls” opposite Elizabeth Olsen and Dakota Fanning, Scott Cooper’s revenge thriller “Out of the Furnace” with Christian Bale and Terrence Malick’s untitled Texas-set romantic drama opposite Portman and Michael Fassbender on the docket this year.

Elizabeth Banks Up for Robert Downey, Jr. Dramedy “The Judge”

March 13, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

elizabeth-banks “The Hunger Games” star Elizabeth Banks is in contention for the role of Robert Downey, Jr’s ex-girlfriend in a new family dramedy called “The Judge”, according to THR. Robert Duvall is in talks to play the titular judge and Downey’s father.

In the David Dobkin-directed film, Downey will play a big city lawyer who returns to his childhood hometown to defend his father, the town judge, against murder charges. He sets out to investigate the crime and reconnects with his estranged family along the way. Banks is up for the role of his ex-girlfriend, with the filmmakers having narrowed the choice down to her and “Bates Motel” star Vera Farmiga. Nick Schenk wrote the original script and Bill Dubuque rewrote the latest draft. It’s likely this will be Downey’s next film.

Banks struck franchise gold after she landed the role of Effie Trinket in “The Hunger Games”, which will see her through all four movies. She most recently completed filming on the first sequel, “Catching Fire.” She was last seen in (and produced) surprise comedy hit “Pitch Perfect.” Banks also recently wrapped rom com “Walk of Shame” opposite James Marsden and is attached to indie comedy “The Big Shoe” opposite Jim Sturgess and Kristen Stewart.

Jim Sturgess, Kristen Stewart and Elizabeth Banks try on “The Big Shoe”

February 7, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Jim Sturgess, Kristen Stewart and Elizabeth Banks will star in indie comedy “The Big Shoe”, reports Deadline from Berlin, where the film’s rights are out to buyers.

“Secretary” helmer Steven Shainberg will direct from a script he co-wrote with Mickey Birnbaum. Sturgess plays a gifted shoe designer who wants to break away from the family business when they attempt to make him sell out for commercial gain. His mother hires a psychotherapist named Mary Kate (Banks) and a “muse” named Delphi (Stewart) to lure him back. Susan Sarandon had been rumored for the mother role but it’s unclear if she still is. Filming is set to begin on June 17th.

Sturgess had been poised for a breakout about five years ago with the one-two punch of “Across the Universe” and “21″, but has fizzled a bit. He now seems ready for a comeback after starring in last year’s “Cloud Atlas” for the Wackowskis and recently landing on Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” shortlist. Stewart recently wrapped up her star-making vampire saga with “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II” and is attached to grifter comedy “Focus”, which is searching for its male lead after Ben Affleck dropped out. Banks is smack dab in the middle of a “Twilight”-esque phenomenon as she plays Effie in “The Hunger Games”, and recently wrapped up filming on the second installment “Catching Fire.” She’ was last seen in surprise comedy hit “Pitch Perfect”, which she also produced, and is currently filming rom com “Walk of Shame” opposite James Marsden.

Watch: Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson are “Pitch Perfect” in trailer for new Glee-style comedy

June 18, 2012 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Videos Leave a comment

File this one under Films I’ll Be Watching On Opening Weekend!

Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson go all “Glee” on us in the first trailer for “Pitch Perfect“, which premiered on Yahoo Movies!. A female-centric comedy, the film follows rival a cappela groups at the fictional Barton University. Kendrick stars as Beca, a freshman student who is cajoled into joining The Bellas. After realising their reportoire is stuck in the last century, it’s clearly down to Beca, and fellow new singers including Wilson’s Fat Amy to get The Bellas to the Finals.

This first trailer showcases Kendrick’s gorgeous singing voice (check out 2003′s “Camp” for another example!) but it looks like Wilson (“Bridesmaids“) is going to be the scene-stealer here, taking on her weight, a hate for cardio and comparing crystal meth to kissing the wrong boys – all in one two and half minute trailer!

Also starring Brittany Snow, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Adam DeVine and Elizabeth Banks, “Pitch Perfect” is released in October.

LA Film Fest REVIEW: Alex Kurtzman’s “People Like Us” is a solid family drama bolstered by strong performances

June 16, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Reviews Leave a comment

One may not expect Alex Kurtzman, co-writer and producer of some of the most high profile blockbuster action flicks of the past few years – the first two “Transformers”, “Star Trek”, “Cowboys and Aliens” and currently the sequel to “The Amazing Spider-Man”, among them – to make his directorial debut with a small scale character study and family drama, and it’s perhaps even more unexpected that he pretty much succeeds at it. “People Like Us”, which premiered at the LA Film Festival last night, may not be breaking any new ground in the relationship drama genre, but it’s bolstered by smart writing, some genuinely surprising moments and a talented cast all performing at the top of their game.

Watch: Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks meet “People Like Us” in first trailer

March 29, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos Leave a comment

Hot off the success of “The Hunger Games, Effie herself Elizabeth Banks introduces the first trailer for her next movie, “People Like Us”, which is surely hoping for a bit of an awareness bump thanks to its suddenly way more famous star. Formerly titled “Welcome to People”, Chris Pine stars in the family drama as a man who is reunited with a sister and nephew he never knew he had after the death of his alcoholic father. His father left him a large inheritance, along with instructions to give some of the money to the daughter he hid from his wife and son. Banks and Pine play the newfound brother-sister duo, with Olivia Wilde on board as Hannah, Pine’s character’s girlfriend. Michelle Pfeiffer is also on board to play Pine’s mother.

The directorial debut of uber-successful screenwriter Alex Kurtzman, “People Like Us” boasts a confident summer release date of June 29th. Watch the first trailer, courtesy of Moviefone, below.

First look: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and more in trailer for adaptation of “The Hunger Games”

November 14, 2011 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Videos 3 Comments

With a release date set for March 23rd 2012, promotional material for Gary Ross’s adaptation of “The Hunger Games” has been slowly trickling out, first with an awesome fiery motion poster and then just last month, the first character posters. The first teaser was underwhelming at best, but now, premiering today on Good Morning America, we have the first full length trailer.

Starring Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, the film, based on the first novel of Suzanne Collins’ best-selling teen trilogy, is set in a post apocalyptic North America where an oppressive Capitol randomly chooses 24 children to enter an arena and battle each other to the death. Katniss volunteers herself to take the place of her little sister (Willow Shields), and inside the arena is in turns pursued and protected by Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), a baker’s son from her neighborhood, as well as 22 other enemies. Surrounded by friends and foes that include Liam Hemsworth as best friend Gale, Woody Harrelson as her drunken mentor, Lenny Kravitz as her costume designer and Elizabeth Banks as her pushy handler, Katniss must use her strength and smarts to ensure she emerges the victor.

Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and more grace “The Hunger Games” character posters

October 27, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images 5 Comments

What can we say other than, Holy Photoshop Batman! While “The Hunger Games” remains one of our most highly anticipated upcoming movies, the promotional materials released thus far can justly be described as awful (with the exception of that awesome motion poster). But that first teaser? Underwhelming. And now these characters-in-profile posters that spotlight Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss, Liam Hemsworth’s Gale, Josh Hutcherson’s Peeta and five more strong supporting characters from the film, all airbrushed within an inch of their lives.

Luckily for Lionsgate, the massive success of the Suzanne Collins trilogy of books means the Gary Ross directed film will practically sell itself. And the studio is clearly confident it has the birth of a franchise on its hands, having already set a November 23, 2013 release for the sequel, “Catching Fire.” Let’s just hope the quality of the marketing materials isn’t reflective of the film itself. “The Hunger Games” will be released on March 23, 2012 and you can see all eight character posters below, which also feature Elizabeth Banks as Effie, Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, Alexander Ludwig as Cato and Amandla Stenberg as Rue.

Watch: Sam Worthington is a “Man on a Ledge” in first trailer

September 22, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos 1 Comment

Yesterday we unveiled the poster for Asger Roth’s thriller “Man on a Ledge” starring Sam Worthington, and today a slightly less impressive trailer makes its way online as well, via Yahoo! Movies. Worthington plays Nick Cassidy, an ex-cop slash ex-con who believes he was framed by Ed Harris. He threatens to jump from high atop a New York City skyscraper as thousands of spectators and countless NYPD officers swarm the scene and attempt to get him down safely. Unbeknownst to them, the suicide attempt is merely a cover-up for Nick’s younger brother (Jamie Bell) and a female accomplice, apparently (judging from IMDB pictures) played by Genesis Rodriguez, to pull off a diamond heist from Harris’ character that would prove Nick’s innocence. Elizabeth Banks is on board as the negotiator sent to talk him off the ledge who begins to believe his innocence.

Was that summary too spoiler-filled? You may not want to watch the trailer then, which seems to give away even more plot details and twists and turns (including whether or not Nick manages to get off that ledge). It looks like a standard action thriller with not too much to get excited about, but should be an entertaining, if not pretty predictable, two hour ride. Find out for yourself when “Man on a Ledge” opens on January 13, 2012.

First Look: Sam Worthington’s “Man on a Ledge” poster will give you vertigo

September 21, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images 1 Comment

If you’re afraid of heights, you may not want to look too closely at the first poster for new Sam Worthington thriller “Man on a Ledge”, unveiled by MovieWeb today. Taking a striking overhead shot at Worthington’s Nick Cassidy as he perches perilously on said ledge high up on a New York City skyscraper, forget the swarms of people, even the cars look like ants.

In the Asger Roth directed heist thriller (wow, are there a lot of those floating around these days or what?), ex-cop turned conman Cassidy threatens to jump from the rooftop of a posh NYC hotel, prompting the NYPD to dispatch countless SWAT team members, officers and a female psychologist (Elizabeth Banks) to talk him down. Little do they know, the suicide attempt is merely a diversion to distract the police force while Cassidy’s brother Joey is pulling off the largest diamond heist in history. Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris and Edward Burns co-star.

“Man on a Ledge” releases on January 13, 2012 and you can see the full poster below.

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