Woody Allen’s “To Rome With Love” starring Jesse Eisenberg and Ellen Page to Open LA Film Festival

April 12, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in General News Leave a comment

Ahead of its June 22nd US release, Woody Allen’s latest international ensemble rom-com “To Rome With Love” will open the Los Angeles Film Festival, it was announced via press release this morning. The festival will serve as the North American premiere for the film, while the world premiere will take place tomorrow in – where else? – Rome, Italy.

The film “is a story about a number of people in Italy — some American, some Italian, some residents, some visitors — and the romances and adventures and predicaments they get into.” Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig and Alison Pill are joined onscreen by Allen himself, along with Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penélope Cruz and Judy Davis.

“I can’t think of a better way to kick off this year’s festival than with the original independent filmmaker himself, Woody Allen. It’s a true honor for Los Angeles to host the North American premiere of To Rome With Love,” said Festival Director Stephanie Allain.

The full press release is below.

Chris Evans to return in “Captain America 2″ on April 4, 2014

April 5, 2012 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting, General News Leave a comment

Iron Man is getting another sequel, Thor is getting his, so it’s no surprise at all that Chris Evans will return as the leader of The Avengers in “Captain America 2″, scheduled for release on April 4, 2014. Disney/Marvel announced via press release today that Steve Rogers will be returning, but chances are, his cohorts from the original film, including Hayley Atwell as Rogers’ first love Peggy Carter, won’t. Rogers will remain in modern times, probably leaving Carter and his fellow soldiers back in the 1940s.

Captain America will follow in the footsteps of his fellow Avengers, with “Iron Man 3″ scheduled for May 6, 2013 and “Thor 2″ for July 26, 2013. Could “The Avengers 2″ or perhaps a solo movie for Hawkeye or Black Widow or even, god forbid, another attempt at Hulk, be paired with “Captain America 2″ in 2014? Let the speculation begin.

The press release from Disney follows:

The Walt Disney Studios has announced a release date for Marvel Studios’ sequel to the blockbuster Captain America: The First Avenger on April 4, 2014. The second installment will pick-up where the highly anticipated Marvel’s The Avengers (May 4, 2012) leaves off, as Steve Rogers continues his affiliation with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D and struggles to embrace his role in the modern world.

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.

“The Amazing Spider-Man” and “The Hunger Games” sequels get release dates

August 8, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in General News 2 Comments

No, you haven’t missed “The Amazing Spider-Man” or “The Hunger Games” in theaters already. Despite the fact that both movies do not open until 2012, their parent studios – Sony and Lionsgate, respectively – are apparently so confident in their new franchises that both movies are already getting sequels.

“The Hunger Games”, opening on March 23, 2012, tells the story of 16 year old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in post-apocalyptic America and who volunteers herself for the Hunger Games, a nationally televised battle to the death featuring 24 teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18. Will Katniss emerge victorious? Well… she is the main character in a trilogy of books, after all. The first sequel, “Catching Fire”, has been set for release on November 23, 2013. Lawrence and most of her co-stars are set to return, but Gary Ross, currently directing them in “Games” in North Carolina, has not been finalized.

Andrew Garfield will swing into action in origin tale “The Amazing Spider-Man” on July 3, 2012 and then continue the saga of Peter Parker in the sequel, now set for release on May 4, 2014. Director Marc Webb has not been confirmed to return, and while co-star Emma Stone, who plays Peter’s first love Gwen Stacey, is surely contractually obligated to return for sequels, her appearances may hinge on how closely the films follows comics lore. Dare we say it? Let the hunt for Mary Jane Watson begin!

“Tanner Hall” starring Rooney Mara gets a new poster and release date

August 4, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

One of the perks of an actor gaining overnight success is reaped by that actor’s previous, lesser known films. “Tanner Hall”, directed by Francesca Gregorini and Tatiana von Furstenberg (daughter of Diane) and starring then unknown actress Rooney Mara, first bowed in Toronto all the way back in 2009. While it received mostly positive reviews and even went on to win the Best Feature award at the Gen Art Film Festival several months later, it had trouble getting distributed, most likely due in no small part to its lack of star power within the cast and behind the scenes.

So Von Furstenberg and co. must have been over the moon when their star landed the biggest casting coup of the past several years in taking on the role of Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher’s English language adaptation of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. Indie distributor Anchor Bay wasted no time in snapping up the all girls boarding school coming of age drama and set it for release two months before “Dragon Tattoo” premieres.

Mara is joined in “Tanner Hall” by a couple of other young actresses who also appear to be on the cusp of a breakout. British actress Georgia King was recently named one of Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow and Brie Larson, last seen as Envy Adams in “Scott Pilgrim vs the World”, landed the highly coveted female lead in the “21 Jump Street” remake opposite Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. Needless to say, we’ll be keeping a close eye on Von Furstenberg’s casting choices in the future.

“Tanner Hall” will be released in select cities on September 9th and a new poster has also been released, which can be seen below.

Chris Hemsworth to return as “Thor” in July 2013 without director Kenneth Branagh

June 30, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting, General News Leave a comment

In a bit of expected news, Marvel has officially greenlit a sequel to “Thor”, the May superhero release that garnered over $400 million for Disney/Marvel worldwide. Deadline reports Chris Hemsworth will return to wield the hammer in the titular role of the Norse God turned Avenger, but director Kenneth Branagh is out. Branagh will most likely stay on in a producing capacity but the job of director is now available and sure to be hotly contested.

An official release date has already been set for July 26, 2013, opening three months after the May 6, 2013 release of “Iron Man 3″, which will see Robert Downey Jr return as Thor’s cocky, snarky teammate. Downey and Hemsworth are currently in New Mexico filming Joss Whedon’s all-star team up “The Avengers”, which is set for a May 12, 2012 release. Further setting up for that highly anticipated event is Chris Evans headlining “Captain America: The First Avenger”, releasing on July 22th. Presumably, if his solo film does well, he will get his own sequel too, and Marvel has not ruled out spinning off solo movies for Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk (though the tepid reception of the previous two attempts to bring The Hulk to the big screen should give them pause) and Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye, who first made a cameo in “Thor”.

In any case, Hemsworth appears to be well tied up for the foreseeable future, committed to filming the titular role in “Snow White and the Huntsman” for Universal after “The Avengers” and recently signing on for black ops thriller “Shadow Runner” for Sony Pictures.

“Twilight” author’s “The Host” starring Saoirse Ronan gets March 29, 2013 release date

June 27, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in General News Leave a comment

Fans of the “Twilight” saga won’t have to mourn too hard after “Breaking Dawn: Part 2″ wraps up the series in November 2012, as the big screen adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s next novel is following right on its heels. Open Road Films announced via press release today that Meyer’s alien actioner “The Host”, helmed by Andrew Niccol and starring young Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan, will hit theaters on March 29, 2013.

Niccol has long been attached to the project, writing the screenplay, signing on, dropping out and signing back on as director, while Ronan’s attachment was announced in May. The story centers around a post-apocalyptic world in which aliens called Souls have body-snatched and are occupying the majority of the human population. Ronan plays Melanie Stryder, whose body is taken over by a Soul named Wanderer. However, Melanie’s strong will to survive have the two consciousnesses fighting for domination and eventually becoming allies as they set out to find Jared, the man Melanie loves, and their small colony of human resistance.

Shooting is scheduled for February 2012 in Louisiana and New Mexico.

Los Angeles, CA, June 27, 2011 – Open Road Films has acquired U.S. distribution rights to “The Host,” the big screen adaptation of Twilight series author Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling novel. As previously announced, “The Host” will be directed by Andrew Niccol (“Gattaca”), who also wrote the screenplay, and will star Saoirse Ronan (“Hanna,” “The Lovely Bones,” “Atonement”). Open Road Films has set a March 29, 2013 release date (Easter weekend) for “The Host.”

“The Host” producers are Nick Wechsler, Chockstone Pictures’ Paula Mae Schwartz and Steve Schwartz, and Stephenie Meyer. Marc Butan, Jim Siebel, and Bill Johnson of Inferno Entertainment, which is handling international sales, are executive producers. Claudia Bluemhuber of Silver Reel, which is providing mezzanine financing, is also an executive producer. Roger Schwartz and Lizzy Bradford are co-producers.

Principal photography is scheduled to being in February 2012 in Louisiana and New Mexico, in anticipation of the wide release on March 29, 2013.

“The Host” is a riveting story about the survival of love and the human spirit in a time of war.

“House at the End of the Street” starring Jennifer Lawrence gets February 2012 release date

April 22, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in General News Leave a comment

Horror film “House at the End of the Street”, recently picked up by Relativity Media, has been set for a February 3, 2012 release. The film, starring Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence and Max Thieriot, was directed by Mark Tonderai from a script by David Loucka and is one of the rare horror films that is not a remake or reboot of a movie from the 80s, though its title certainly sounds like it could be.

The film revolves around a teenage girl (Lawrence) who moves into a new house with her mother (Elizabeth Shue) and discovers that the house next door was the site of a horrific double murder. Complications ensue when she befriends the sole survivor of the massacre (Thieriot).

No doubt the release date coincides nicely with Lawrence’s starring role in Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games”, set for release on March 23, 2012. She will next be seen in this summer’s “X-Men: First Class” as Mystique. Thieriot was last seen on the big screen in another horror film, Wes Craven’s “My Soul to Take”, and recently completed filming indie “Foreverland”.

Sundance hit “Like Crazy” gets Oscar friendly release date

April 19, 2011 | Posted by Linda Ge in General News Leave a comment

The biggest winner to come out of Sundance – it took the Grand Jury Prize and a special jury prize for star Felicity Jones’ performance – “Like Crazy” will be released on October 28, 2011, smack dab in the middle of Awards season. It was snapped up after a bidding war upped the price to $4 million by Paramount Vantage, the art house and awards-friendly arm of Paramount that put out past Oscar nominees and winners like “No Country for Old Men”, “Babel”, “Into the Wild” and “Revolutionary Road”.

“Like Crazy”, directed by Drake Doremus and shot improvisational style, stars Jones and Anton Yelchin as a young couple who fall in love during college but are separated after graduation when she overstays her Visa and is unable to return to America after going home to Britain. Months and years pass while the two struggle to be together and let love be enough when they are separated by thousands of miles, time differences and immigration laws. Last year’s Sundance darling Jennifer Lawrence has a supporting role as a great girl Jacob attempts to move on with but inevitably can’t measure up to the one that got away.

The reviews from Sundance were unequivocally positive and the film’s early buzz has already translated into doors opening for its young stars, with Jones being shortlisted for one high profile project after another, including “Snow White and the Huntsman” and “The Seventh Son”, while Yelchin will next tackle the title role in “Odd Thomas”, adapted from the best-selling novels by Dean Koontz.

“The Hunger Games” gets a release date and a casting director

January 25, 2011 | Posted by Lindsey Young in Casting, General News 1 Comment

Let the Games begin! Fans and enthusiasts of “The Hunger Games” can officially start counting down to when the first book in Suzanne Collins’ trilogy will come to life on the big screen. Lionsgate has revealed to EW that “The Hunger Games” will be released in just over a year on March 23, 2012. Director Gary Ross has stated that he aims for the film’s production to commence this spring. Of course, Ross won’t be able to start filming until he has a cast, but fear not for that is a process that is also well on its way. Speakeasy has confirmed that casting director Debra Zane has been hired for task of finding the perfect actors and actresses to portray the roles in this post-apocalyptic tale. Having recently worked on “The Twilight Saga’s Breaking Dawn,” Zane is no stranger to book-to-film adaptations in the YA genre. She has also previously worked with Ross on “Seabiscuit” and “Pleasantville.”

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