Watch: Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson rescue Blake Lively in first trailer for “Savages”

April 5, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos Leave a comment

“Just because I’m telling you this story doesn’t mean I’m alive at the end,” narrates Blake Lively as her character O introduces us to the hyper sexual and violent world in which she resides in the first trailer for Oliver Stone’s drug cartel thriller “Savages.” Yes, it’s one of those stories, in which certain death for most if not all parties involved seems inevitable.

Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson play best friends and business partners Chon and Ben, two Southern Californian pot growers whose business is starting to really become lucrative. No surprise then that the Mexican drug lords want a piece of the action. When they refuse to work for Salma Hayek’s organization, Benicio Del Toro is dispatched to kidnap O, the girlfriend they share between them, setting off a chain of violent events that may or may not culminate in everybody killing each other.

“Savages”, based on the best-selling novel by Don Winslow, will be released on July 6th, and will coincide with the publication of “The Kings of Cool”, a prequel novel that traces the beginnings of Ben, Chon and O’s unusual friendship.

Watch the brilliant and intense first trailer below.

Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively and Aaron Johnson featured on first “Savages” poster

April 2, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

We’re just a couple of months away from the release of one of our most anticipated films of the year, and today we finally have our first look at the poster for Oliver Stone’s drug cartel thriller “Savages.” The trio of young stars, Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson and Blake Lively are joined on the hyper colorful and dramatic poster by John Travolta, Salma Hayek and Benicio Del Toro, playing various friends and foes of the two pot-growing best friends, Ben and Chon, played by Johnson and Kitsch, respectively. Lively plays O, the wild child girlfriend the boys both love – and unlike other love triangles, unselfishly share between them. When Hayek’s Mexican drug cartel decide the boys should work for her, she unleashes her brutal enforcer Del Toro to kidnap the girl for ransom.

“Savages”, based on the best-selling novel by Don Winslow, will be released on July 6th, and will coincide with the publication of “The Kings of Cool”, a prequel novel that traces the beginnings of Ben, Chon and O’s unusual friendship.

JoBlo had the exclusive reveal of the poster, which you can see below, and also report the trailer will be released on Thursday.

Benicio Del Toro terrorizes Blake Lively in first still from Oliver Stone’s “Savages”

January 27, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

Though it doesn’t even have South American release dates yet, Universal Pictures Argentina got a jump on the US base of the studio by tweeting the first official still from Oliver Stone’s drug cartel thriller “Savages”, one of our most anticipated titles of the year.

Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson star in the movie based on Don Winslow’s best-selling novel about two pot growers and best friends whose shared girlfriend O (Lilvely) is kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel intent on blackmailing the two into working for them. The two then muster up a complicated scheme to get their girl back without losing all their weed and profits. Seen here, Lively – who replaced Jennifer Lawrence in the role after Lawrence chose to do “The Hunger Games” instead – as the damsel in distress is visibly bruised and defeated, while Del Toro’s ruthless drug cartel enforcer callously continues to torture her.

John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Salma Hayek and Emile Hirsch co-star. “Savages” is set for release on September 28, 2012.

First Look: Aaron Johnson on the set of Oliver Stone’s “Savages”

September 12, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

Aaron Johnson looks a bit like a 70′s porn star in our first glimpse of the young British actor in character as Ben, a pot dealer in Oliver Stone’s highly anticipated “Savages”, based on the best-selling novel by Don Winslow. Johnson sports a pornstache, big hair held back by a bandanna and gold jewelry, including an earring, while filming in Redondo Beach over the weekend. Kind of a far cry from the nerdy, quiet genius as described in Winslow’s novel, if you ask me. Ben is the complete opposite of his business partner and best friend Chon, and together they must come up with a complicated scheme to outsmart a brutal Mexican drug cartel when their mutual girlfriend O is kidnapped for ransom.

Just Jared has the first pics of Johnson as Ben, and also an earlier set of photos featuring Blake Lively, sporting Ophelia’s signature purple-streaked hair, and Taylor Kitsch as Chon, an ex Navy-SEAL who is the brawn to Ben’s brains. See below for a couple more of Johnson and head over to Just Jared to see more pics!

“Savages” has a release date of September 28, 2012.

Emile Hirsch joins Oliver Stone’s “Savages”

April 23, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Oliver Stone’s drug cartel drama “Savages” continues to build an impressive cast, with Emile Hirsch the latest to jump on board, according to Variety. Hirsch will join a cast that already includes Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Salma Hayek, Benicio Del Toro, Uma Thurman and John Travolta.

Based on the best-selling novel by Don Winslow and co-written by the author himself and Shane Salerno, the story revolves around Johnson and Kitch’s Ben and Chon, a pair of best friends and pot dealers who grow such valuable weed that Hayek’s Mexican drug trade queen Elena wants them to work for her. When they refuse, Del Toro’s brutal enforcer Lado is unleashed and kidnaps Lively as O, the free-spirited girlfriend shared by both boys. Thurman is on board as Lively’s flighty mother and Travolta as a former DEA agent and Ben and Chon’s informant. There is no solid word as to Hirsch’s role, though Spin, Ben’s “money guy”, is a possibility. If so, he will be significantly aged down from the over-the-hill forty-three year old as written in the novel.

Hirch is considered one of his generation’s finest actors, and came thisclose to landing an Oscar nomination for his revelatory turn as real life adventurer Chris McCandless in Sean Penn’s 2007 “Into the Wild”. He is currently filming indie thriller “The Motel Life” opposite Stephen Dorff and Dakota Fanning and will next be seen in alien invasion actioner “The Darkest Hour” opposite Olivia Thirlby.

Blake Lively officially on board for Oliver Stone’s “Savages”

April 21, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Oliver Stone has found his Ophelia. A few weeks ago, we reported Blake Lively was the director’s #1 choice to take on the role of O in “Savages” and today Deadline confirms the blond beauty is officially on board, with John Travolta and Uma Thurman joining the increasingly well-rounded cast as well.

In the drug cartel drama/thriller, Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch play Ben and Chon, a pair of Southern Californian pot dealers and best friends who share everything, including their mutual girlfriend, the wild child O. When O is kidnapped for ransom, the boys must come up with a series of complicated schemes in order to get their girl back while hanging onto their precious drugs and money. Travolta will play a retired DEA agent, Thurman O’s flighty, despereate housewife of a mother. Salma Hayek is also on board as the Mexican drug cartel’s queen-pin Elena and Benicio del Toro is Lado, the cartel’s brutal and ruthless enforcer.

With filming set to begin in June and Lively only on borrowed time due to her contractually-obligated commitment to “Gossip Girl”, this leaves Lively’s involvement with Sam Raimi’s “Oz the Great and Powerful” in doubt. She had been reported to be interested in the role of Glinda the Good Witch opposite James Franco as the Wizard and Mila Kunis as the Wicked Witch of the West. Lively is currently filming gritty indie drama “Hick” opposite Chloe Moretz and Eddie Redmayne and will next be seen in this summer’s “The Green Lantern”.

Blake Lively front-runner for Oliver Stone’s “Savages”; also sought for Sam Raimi’s “Oz”

April 11, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Blake Lively is a hot commodity in Hollywood once again since she’s on hiatus from her “Gossip Girl” commitments for the summer. Variety reports today that not only is she Oliver Stone’s first choice to take the female lead in “Savages” (vacated by Jennifer Lawrence, who opted to take “The Hunger Games” instead), she is also hot on the trail of another high profile role, that of the good witch Glinda in Sam Raimi’s “Oz: The Great and Powerful”.

In “Savages”, Lively would play Ophelia, the wild-child girlfriend shared by two pot dealing best friends, to be played by Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch. O gets kidnapped for ransom, and the boys must scheme up a complicated plan to get her back and hold onto their drugs and money. Benicio Del Toro will play a drug cartel enforcer and Salma Hayek and Uma Thurman are in talks for roles as well. For the role of O, other actresses in contention include Olivia Wilde, Teresa Palmer and Abbie Cornish.

“Oz: The Great and Powerful” stars James Franco as a modernized version of the Great Wizard, a snake oil salesman who flees an angry mob in his hot air balloon and lands in the land of Oz, which is controlled by three powerful witches, Glinda the Good, Evanorah, the Wicked Witch of the East, and Theodora, the conflicted younger sister of Evanorah who eventually becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. Mila Kunis is already on board for the latter role.

“Savages” has a planned June start date, and reports indicate the filming schedule of “Oz” would make it difficult for Lively to take on both roles, though it’s important to point out she has not received an official offer for either film yet. Lively, who broke out in Ben Affleck’s “The Town” – even racking up awards and nominations from various critics groups – is currently filming gritty indie drama “Hick” opposite Chloe Moretz and Eddie Redmayne, and will have to return to New York City to film the next season of “Gossip Girl” by mid to late summer. She will next be seen in this summer’s “Green Lantern” opposite Ryan Reynolds.

Blake Lively, Abbie Cornish, and Teresa Palmer all reading for Oliver Stone’s “Savages”

March 28, 2011 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting 1 Comment

Oliver Stone’s Savages now has both its male leads, with Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch both signing on to play the marijuana drug dealing best friends Ben and Chon. But Stone is still looking for his female lead, and after Jennifer Lawrence dropped out to do The Hunger Games instead, names such like Olivia Wilde were thrown in to the mix. Variety and Deadline are now reporting that Blake Lively, Abbie Cornish and Teresa Palmer are all reading for the role of O, a friend of Ben and Chon who is kidnapped and held for ransom by drug lords.

Lively, a regular of TV show Gossip Girl, is a name which lately seems to be on every shortlist around, but she’s still looking for that role to push her into the Hollywood A-list after turning in a breakout performance in Ben Affleck’s “The Town” last year.

Cornish‘s star however is rising fast; after a breakout role in 2009′s Bright Star, she has recently starred in box office hit Limitless, and the controversial Sucker Punch, and a role like this with a director like Stone could be a great opportunity for Cornish.

Palmer is a lesser known name, starring in box office duds such as I Am Number Four and last year’s The Sorceror’s Apprentice, but a role in Savages could be the film to make her more well known – which could be good ahead of her leading role in Mad Max: Fury Road alongside fellow up and comer Nicholas Hoult.

Production is due to start this summer, and also stars Benicio Del Toro and Salma Hayek.

Taylor Kitsch and Olivia Wilde to join Oliver Stone’s “Savages”?

March 19, 2011 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Casting 2 Comments

After Thursday’s official announcement that Jennifer Lawrence had taken the lead role in Gary Ross’s The Hunger Games, there was speculation that she could well be out of the running for Oliver Stone’s drug thriller Savages (also starring Aaron Johnson.) Today Deadline have confirmed the speculation, announcing that Lawrence is out, but that Olivia Wilde has been thrown in to the mix.

Wilde‘s star is definitely rising, with positive reviews in last year’s hit Tron: Legacy and no fewer than four new films due out in 2011. Director Stone is however also looking at other names for the female lead in this adaptation of the Don Winslow novel, and there are certainly a whole host of up and coming young actresses who could successfully take on this kind of role.

Another name Deadline are adding in to the mix? Taylor Kitsch, who was on last year’s The Hollywood Reporter “New A-List” list, but an actor that we suggested still needed to prove he had the potential for the A List. This role, as one of the two pot growers (played by Kitsch and Johnson) who are forced against their will to work for a Mexican drug cartel when their shared girlfriend O is held for ransom, could be the one to take him from his forgettable role in X:Men: Wolverine to one in which he begins to prove his leading man potential.

Production for Savages is due to begin this summer, with a script from Shane Salerno and author Winslow.

Aaron Johnson offered leads in “Savages” and “Anna Karenina”

March 17, 2011 | Posted by Lindsey Young in Casting 2 Comments

It seems that Aaron Johnson, one of our breakout stars of 2010, will have no problem finding work in 2011. Deadline reports that Johnson has been offered two lead roles in films that already have huge names attached to them. An offer has been made to Johnson to star as one of the two male leads in Oliver Stone’s drama “Savages,” a film about two buddies who grow pot that is in such high demand that their lady friend is kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel. “Savages,” penned by Shane Salerno and Winslow (the author of the book of the same name) is scheduled to shoot in June. Oscar nominated actress Jennifer Lawrence was also reported to be attached to the project, but now that she’s been cast as “The Hunger Games” heroine Katniss Everdeen, it’s unclear if her schedule will allow it.

In addition to “Savages,” an offer has also been made to Johnson to star alongside Keira Knightley in the adaptation of Tolstoy’s classic love story “Anna Karenina”. The film will be directed by Joe Wright (“Atonement”) with a script by Tom Stoppard, and it is scheduled to film in the Fall.

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