Watch: Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco make futuristic magic in first trailer for “Now You See Me”

November 16, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos 1 Comment

The first trailer for magician heist thriller “Now You See Me” has been released via Yahoo! Movies and it is not at all what I expected. Sleek, high-tech and slightly futuristic, this Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco led actioner is being played out on a way bigger stage than I had anticipated.

The three, along with Woody Harrelson, are a group of world class magicians. For their final act, they tell the audience, they are going to rob a bank. They seemingly teleport a member of the audience into a bank vault, and then shower the audience with the money he brings back. This of course does not sit well with the FBI, led here by Mark Ruffalo and Melanie Laurent, and they are hot on the group’s trail. Meanwhile, Morgan Freeman believes the real trick up their sleeves has yet to be revealed.

Whew! Seems like there’s a lot of great action sequences and a complicated mystery to solve here, so count us in. Directed by Louis Letterier, “Now You See Me” has been set for release on January 18, 2013. The first trailer can be seen below.

Melanie Laurent to “Cry/Fly” with Jennifer Connelly and Cillian Murphy

November 2, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

French actress Melanie Laurent is in final negotiations to join Jennifer Connelly and Cillian Murphy in multi-generational family drama “Cry/Fly”, reports Variety from AFM.

Claudia Llosa will make her English language debut on the film, which takes place in Minnesota and northern Canada over two time periods. In the first setting, Connelly plays the mother of a terminally-ill six year old daughter and a falcon-keeper son. A “dramatic event” separates the mother from her children, and twenty years later, the son (presumably played by Murphy) is persuaded by a journalist (Laurent) to search for his now-famous mother. Filming is set to begin in February.

Laurent, a prolific actress in her native France, is best known to American audiences for her roles in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” and “Beginners.” She recently wrapped up filming on psychological thriller “An Enemy” alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Sarah Gadon, and has magician heist action flick “Now You See Me” with Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco awaiting release.

Sarah Gadon and Melanie Laurent join Jake Gyllenhaal in psychological thriller “An Enemy”

May 14, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Jake Gyllenhaal-starrer psychological thriller “An Enemy” has added a trio of actresses, according to Deadline. Up and comers Melanie Laurent and Sarah Gadon are joining Isabella Rossellini in the Denis Villeneuve-directed film that will begin shooting next week in Toronto.

Gyllenhaal plays a history teacher living a quiet life with his girlfriend until he stumbles upon a physically identical man living nearby with a pregnant wife. He begins stalking his double until the couples’ lives become intertwined with deadly consequences. Javier Gullón adapted José Saramago’s novel “The Double”, though it appears the adaptation is loose at best.

Laurent broke out in Quentin Tarantino’s Oscar nominated “Inglorious Basterds” and was most recently seen opposite Christopher Plummer’s Oscar-winning performance in “Beginners.” She just wrapped up shooting on magician heist thriller “Now You See Me” opposite Jesse Eisenberg and Dave Franco. Gadon was a little known Canadian TV actress until director David Cronenberg gave her a double-hitter of opportunity, first casting her as Michael Fassbender’s wife in “A Dangerous Method” then opposite Robert Pattinson in the Cannes-bound “Cosmopolis.” Gadon will also be in Cannes representing David’s son Brandon Cronenberg’s futuristic sci-fi thriller “Antiviral.”

San Diego Film Critics Society nominate Shailene Woodley, Brit Marling and more

December 13, 2011 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Awards Leave a comment

Another day and another set of announcements from film critics – this time around, the San Diego Film Critics Society and their nominees for this year’s “excellence in film”.

We have the usual suspects leading the pack with The Artist and Hugo both picking up a slew of nominations – eight for The Artist including Best Film, Director for Michel Hazanavicius and Actor for Jean Dujardin, and seven for Hugo with Best Film, Director for Martin Scorsese and Adapted Screenplay – but also several surprises, including Brit Marling for Best Actress in one of our favorite films of the year, Another Earth.

One look at the Best Actress category shows us that we could be looking at a rising star winner there. Alongside Marling is another Sundance breakout, Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), as well as Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn) and Viola Davis (The Help).

We’re also pleased to see Shailene Woodley nominated for her supporting role in The Descendants, furthering her Oscar chances after garnering several other nominations from the Gotham Awards and Indie Spirits, a well as a win from NBR.

Jessica Chastain (The Help), Melanie Laurent (Beginners), Carey Mulligan (Shame) and Bérénice Bejo (The Artist) round out the Supporting Actress category, guaranteeing the winner will definitely be a rising star.

Click below for a full list of nominees, and check back tomorrow for a full list of the winners.

First look: promotional poster for Jesse Eisenberg’s criminal magician flick, “Now You See Me”

November 6, 2011 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Images 1 Comment

In 2009′s “Zombieland” Jesse Eisenberg’s Columbus gains an unlikely friend in Woody Harrelson‘s Tallahassee as they team up to battle the undead. So when the news broke that they would be teaming up again, this time to outwit the FBI as criminal magicians, well, Louis Leterrier’s Now You See Me quickly became one of our most anticipated films!

Now, thanks to the American Film Market (via, once again, Collider!), we have an official synopsis of the film, as well as the first promotional poster. The film also stars Dave Franco, Melanie Laurent, Isla Fisher, as well as Michael Caine, Mark Ruffalo and Morgan Freeman, and revolves around a group of highly skilled magicians who pull off bank robberies during their performances, ending their shows by showering their audience with the stolen money.

With such a great mix of up and coming actors and established names, we can’t wait for January 18th, 2013, which is when it is due to open across America.

New release dates: “Silent House”, “Warm Bodies”, “Now You See Me”

October 25, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in General News 1 Comment

Some tiny morsels of news today regarding a few of our highly anticipated upcoming projects: Release dates! First up, horror remake “Silent House”, which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and stars hot breakout star Elizabeth Olsen, has been set for a March 9, 2012 release. Surely filmmakers are hoping that date will be coming on the heels of a good night for Olsen at the Oscars, where she is favored to be nominated for a Best Actress statue for her truly revelatory turn in another Sundance debut, “Martha Marcy May Marlene.” In “Silent House”, Olsen will be menaced in a very different way, by ghosts! A remake of the Uruguayan horror “La casa muda,” the film was shot in one long extremely long take, with the camera often positioned within an inch of Olsen’s frightened face.

Over at Summit Entertainment, zombie love story “Warm Bodies” starring Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer and Dave Franco has been skedded for August 10, 2012. In Jonathan Levine’s follow-up to “50/50″, Hoult plays a zombie living in a post-apocalyptic world who begins to feel human again after eating the brains of one of his victims, Perry (Franco). Perry floods Hoult’s “R” with memories and feelings to the point where R begins an unlikely friendship with Palmer’s Julie, the human girlfriend Perry left behind.

Summit has also set a date for Louis Leterrier’s magician heist thriller “Now You See Me”, which also stars Franco, along with Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Melanie Laurent and Mark Ruffalo. The actioner, which follows a group of world class magicians who pull off bank robberies during their performances, and the FBI team hot on their trails, will be released on January 13, 2013.

Dave Franco joins Jesse Eisenberg in “Now You See Me”

October 13, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Watch your back, James, little brother is gaining on you. Deadline reports Dave Franco has added another high profile project to his exponentially growing pile of upcoming films, joining the cast of magician heist thriller “Now You See Me” opposite Jesse Eisenberg, Melanie Laurent, Isla Fisher, Mark Ruffalo and Morgan Freeman.

Louis Leterrier is directing the film about a world-renowned group of illusionists who pull off elaborate bank robberies while doing magic and end performances by showering their audiences with the stolen money. Eisenberg plays the “arrogant yet brilliant” leader of the group, called the Four Horseman, while Fisher will play Henly, the group’s technician, who builds the contraptions that enable their performances. Franco will also be another member of the group, with presumably one more Horseman to be cast. Ruffalo and Laurent lead a team of FBI agents hot on the trail of the magicians, while Freeman plays an ex-magician who will no doubt act as some sort of sage mentor to the daring youngsters.

James’ little brother has been making leaps and bounds onto the big screen after a string of TV guest appearances that included “Greek”, “Scrubs” and “Privileged.” He was recently seen opposite Anton Yelchin in the “Fright Night” remake and will take villain roles in “Odd Thomas”, again opposite Yelchin, and Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill’s “21 Jump Street.”

Isla Fisher to replace Amanda Seyfried in magician heist thriller “Now You See Me”

September 15, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Now you see her, now you don’t. Back in August we had reported that Amanda Seyfried was in negotiations for a role in magician heist thriller “Now You See Me” opposite Jesse Eisenberg, but it appears that deal never closed and ultimately couldn’t come together. Variety reports Australian actress Isla Fisher is now the one in negotiations for the role vacated by the “Red Riding Hood” actress. If Fisher’s deal comes together, she’ll join a cast that also includes Melanie Laurent, Morgan Freeman and Mark Ruffalo.

Louis Leterrier is directing the film about a world-renowned group of illusionists who pull off elaborate bank robberies while doing magic and end performances by showering their audiences with the stolen money. Eisenberg plays the “arrogant yet brilliant” leader of the group, called the Four Horseman, while Fisher will play Henly, the group’s technician, who builds the contraptions that enable their performances. Ruffalo and Laurent lead a team of FBI agents hot on the trail of the magicians, while Freeman plays an ex-magician who will no doubt act as some sort of sage mentor to the daring youngsters.

Fisher is currently down in her native Australia, filming the role of Myrtle Wilson in Baz Luhrmann’s 3D adaptation of “The Great Gatsby.” A veteran of romantic comedies like “Definitely, Maybe” and “Confessions of a Shopaholic”, she recently lent her voice to “Rango” and is next set to headline “Desperados”, an all-female roadtrip comedy in the vein of “The Hangover” and “Bridesmaids.”

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.

Abracadabra! Mélanie Laurent joins Jesse Eisenberg in “Now You See Me”

July 13, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

Mélanie Laurent’s got something up her sleeve. The French on the rise actress is in final negotiations to join Jesse Eisenberg in magician bank heist thriller “Now You See Me”, reports Variety. Jake Gyllenhaal had also been offered a part in the film, but has ultimately passed. There’s no new word on the involvement of Olivia Wilde and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who had also previously been rumored to be in the mix for roles.

The picture revolves around a group of highly skilled magicians who pull off bank robberies during their performances, ending their shows by showering their audience with the stolen money. The FBI eventually gets involved to set up the more traditional chase elements of bank heist thrillers. The studio had previously toyed with the idea of an older cast, courting the likes of Jim Carrey, Colin Firth, Sacha Baron Cohen and Hugh Grant for the roles that went to Eisenberg, Laurent and presumably more similarly aged actors. Louis Leterrier will direct from a script by Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt.

Laurent got her Hollywood breakout moment when she starred as the vengeful Shosana in Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 Oscar-nominated “Inglourious Basterds” and can currently be seen opposite Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer on the critically lauded “Beginners.”

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