New “Divergent” Photo Has Shailene Woodley on Edge

May 14, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images Leave a comment

divergent001sm We’ve seen Shailene Woodley getting knives thrown at her, and a new still image from “Divergent” (via EW once again) features the heroine known as Tris Prior in even more danger. It’s not easy being Dauntless!

For those who haven’t read the books, Woodley’s Tris lives in a futuristic dystopian Chicago where inhabitants are divided into factions based on dominant character traits. She’s left Abnegation, the selfless faction she was born into, for Dauntless, made up of the bravest citizens. “In this photo she’s already jumped off the train and onto a seven story building as part of the initiation rite for the Dauntless,” director Neil Burger explains the photo to EW. “The next thing they have to do is jump from the building and down through a courtyard that has a deep, black hole. It’s terrifying.”

If you squint, I believe you can see Jai Courtney as Dauntless leader Eric as well as Tris’ fellow Dauntless initiates Peter (Miles Teller) and Christina (Zoe Kravitz), looking on as Tris is once again the first to make the leap. “Divergent” will be released on March 21, 2014 and the new photo can be found below.

Ansel Elgort Is Augustus Waters in “The Fault in Our Stars” Opposite Shailene Woodley

May 10, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

ansel-elgort From siblings to star-crossed lovers! EW reports rising star Ansel Elgort has been offered the male lead in “The Fault in Our Stars” opposite Shailene Woodley – who plays his sister in the currently-filming dystopian adaptation “Divergent.”

The two will play a pair of teen cancer survivors who meet in a support group and fall in love, with the knowledge that their time together may be fleeting. It’s been done before, but John Green’s novel really was something special, and the film has been eagerly anticipated by his legion of fans. The author seems enthusiastic about the casting, telling EW “Ansel is whip-smart and uber-charismatic and everything I dreamed for Augustus Waters… I am by nature a cautious pessimist, but I’ll just say it: Now that we have Shailene and Ansel, I am completely, unreservedly psyched about this movie.”

Director Josh Boone also seems unreservedly psyched: ““Ansel Elgort is the epitome of the boy John Green brought to life so vividly in his novel and he truly embodies the character traits we admire so much about Gus. His humor, sensitivity, honesty and confidence floored us. Watching him with Shailene was like seeing the film for the first time. Hearing then say okay to each other was incredibly moving. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have found our Gus.”

Filming on the teen weeper will begin in August, after Woodley and Elgort wrap “Divergent.” In the film he plays Caleb Prior, brother to Woodley’s heroine Tris. Just out of high school, Elgort made his professional acting debut on the Off-Broadway play “Regrets” and almost immediately followed it up with landing a major supporting role in Kimberly Pierce’s upcoming “Carrie” remake opposite Chloe Moretz. Then came “Divergent”, and now “The Fault in Our Stars”, and we will most definitely be keeping our eye on this skyrocketing career.

Brenton Thwaites, Nat Wolff, Ansel Elgort, More Testing for “The Fault in Our Stars” Opposite Shailene Woodley

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

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Young actors are lining up for the next big coveted part and it’s once again the love interest role opposite Shailene Woodley. This time she’s looking for an Augustus Waters for her Hazel Grace Lancaster in Josh Boone’s adaptation of John Green’s massively popular “The Fault in Our Stars” and Variety reports Brenton Thwaites, Nat Wolff, Nick Robinson, Noah Silver and Ansel Elgort will test for the role this weekend.

Gus, described as long and lean with dark hair and blue eyes who’s witty and spouts off romantic soliloquies in his wooing of Hazel, whom he meets at a cancer support group, is the ideal fictional boyfriend for many a teenage reader and no matter who is cast, he will undoubtedly meet with a fair share of resistance. Filming is set to begin in August, after Woodley wraps filming on dystopian YA adaptation “Divergent.”

Elgort also stars with Woodley in “Divergent”, in which he plays her brother so “Fault” would require the two to find a different sort of chemistry. He also stars opposite Chloe Moretz in the upcoming “Carrie” remake. Robinson will soon be seen in a breakout role in Sundance hit “The Kings of Summer”, while Wolff has already worked with Boone before, in the upcoming “Stuck in Love.” Thwaites is the veteran of these shortlists, having tested for the male lead in “Divergent” opposite Woodly a few months ago; and he was also up for “Transformers 4″, “Need for Speed” and “Endless Love.” Silver has appeared on Showtime series “The Borgias” and is currently filming indie “Jamie Marks Is Dead.”

First Look: Shailene Woodley in Danger in First Photo from “Divergent”

April 24, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Images 1 Comment

divergent001sm Shailene Woodley gets up close and personal with some knives in the first official photo from currently-filming YA adaptation “Divergent”, revealed this morning by EW.

Woodley plays Tris Prior in Neil Burger’s adaptation of Veronica Roth’s popular dystopian teen series, a young girl growing up in a futuristic Chicago whose society is broken up into factions based on dominant character traits. Fans of the book will recognize this picture as the knife-throwing scene, which is supposed to – somehow – test Tris’s bravery now that she’s chosen the Dauntless faction over her original Abnegation.

Filming has been taking place in Chicago for a few weeks with Theo James in the male lead role of Four, Jai Courtney and Miles Teller in antagonistic roles and Ansel Elgort and Zoe Kravits among Tris’ allies. No word yet when we might see some of them (some of whom are, in fact, the ones throwing those knives at Woodley), but material will probably be trickling out from now until the film’s release on March 21, 2014.

See the first photo from “Divergent” below.

Trio of Unknowns Join Shailene Woodley and Theo James in “Divergent”

March 25, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

divergenttrio Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Ben Lamb and Christian Madsen are the latest to join Shailene Woodley and Theo James in Neil Burger’s adaptation of Veronica Roth YA novel franchise “Divergent.”

The film, which kicked off production with its first table read today, also stars Miles Teller, Zoe Kravitz, Kate Winslet and Aaron Eckhart. It’s set in a dystopic future Chicago which has been divided into factions based on its residents’ prominent character traits. Woodley’s Tris chooses to leave behind her selfless faction, the Abnegation, to join Dauntless, the brave. There she meets new friends and foes in the forms of James’ Four, Teller’s Peter, Kravitz’s Christina, Lloyd-Hughes’ Will, Lamb’s Edward and Masden’s Al. And there she also discovers the dangerous secrets behind her shady society, leading her on a mission that, of course, carries out over three books (and potentially four movies, naturally). The first one will be released on March 21, 2014. Let’s hope it’s more “Hunger Games” and less “Beautiful Creatures.”

Lloyd-Hughes, who has appeared on popular Brit teen series “Skins”, was last seen in Mike Newell’s “Great Expectations” with Jeremy Irvine. Lamb is a newcomer who most recently completed filming on BBC miniseries “The White Queen.” Madsen has done a bunch of indies, including Gio Coppola’s “Palo Alto” with James Franco and Emma Roberts.

Who Should Play Augustus Waters in “The Fault In Our Stars” Opposite Shailene Woodley?

March 20, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting, Features 11 Comments

guscasting

It’s the question on everyone’s minds now that we have our Hazel Grace in “The Descendants” star Shailene Woodley: Who will play her sparring partner, love interest and fellow cancer survivor Augustus Waters in “The Fault in Our Stars”?

Josh Boone is directing the adaptation of the best-selling John Green YA novel, and the casting for Augustus will likely be even more scrutinized than Woodley as Hazel. Gus, described as long and lean with dark hair and blue eyes who’s witty and spouts off romantic soliloquies in his wooing of Hazel, is the ideal fictional boyfriend for many a teenage reader and no matter who is cast, he will undoubtedly meet with a fair share of resistance. Sure, there is no perfect Gus for everyone, but we did our best to come up with just a few suggestions of guys who can be trusted to bring this beloved character to the big screen and not screw it up for his legion of fans.

It should be noted that Boone has been pretty vocal that an actor who is 25 is “far too old” for the role, which immediately takes a few of our guys out of the running (and which frankly makes us think someone has already been chosen, but that’s another story). Clearly, we disagree with the director on this point, and this is just our wishful thinking, just let us have this. Okay? Okay.

Click below to see our choices for Augustus Waters and leave us yours!

Shailene Woodley Confirmed for “The Fault in Our Stars”

March 19, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 5 Comments

shailene-woodley I mean, duh, we called it. It has now been officially confirmed with glowing quotes from director, producer and author in tow that the increasingly in demand Shailene Woodley will play the lead role of Hazel Grace Lancaster in “The Fault in Our Stars.”

EW broke the news, with director Josh Boone enthusing: “During our exhaustive search to find Hazel Grace Lancaster, I saw some stunning auditions by today’s finest young actresses. Over 250 girls read for the part, but it wasn’t until Shailene stepped in front of the camera that I truly saw Hazel for the first time. It was like lightning striking. I can’t wait for the rest of the world to see what I have.”

“I am absolutely thrilled that Shailene will be playing Hazel in The Fault in Our Stars,” the book’s author John Green adds. “It means a lot to me that she is a fan of the book, and I know from our conversations that she has a profound understanding of Hazel. Watching her audition, I felt like Hazel Grace Lancaster was talking to me. It was eerie–and very exciting.”

Woodley will most likely shoot “Fault” after she wraps the soon to begin filming “Divergent”, another hot YA property with “Twilight” and “Hunger Games” franchise potential. She begins “Divergent” after having wrapped a small role in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2″ as Mary Jane Watson, which should segue into the female lead by TASM3. So get ready to see a lot of the talented “The Descendants” star, who is often maligned for also being a part of ABC Family series “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” But thankfully that show is over and Woodley is clearly moving on to much bigger and better things.

Theo James Cast as Four in “Divergent”, Miles Teller Also Joining Cast

March 15, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting Leave a comment

theo-james Well this one was a nailbiter. Months after we first heard about Shailene Woodley searching for her Four, news has finally arrived that British actor Theo James has landed the much sought-after male lead in Neil Burger’s adaptation of hit YA novel series “Divergent.” Additionally, the supporting cast is also coming together quick, and Summit/Lionsgate is closing deals with Kate Winslet (long rumored), Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart and Ray Stevenson. Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Zoe Kravitz, Jai Courtney and Maggie Q were previously announced.

Filming begins imminently in Chicago on the futuristic dystopian tale starring Woodley as Tris Prior, who lives in a society which divides its people into factions based on their most dominant character traits. She’s part of Abnegation, who values selflessness above all else, but abandons them at her choosing ceremony to join the Dauntless, who are known for being brave. There she meets Four, one of the leaders of her new faction. Courtney plays Eric, another Dauntless leader and Four’s rival (but rest assured, not for Tris’ affections). Elgort plays Tris’ brother, who also shocks their family when he chooses to leave Abnegation for Euridate, the faction that values knowledge. Q and Kravitz play Dautless faction members and Tris’ allies, while Winslet plays Jeanine, the leader of the Euridite who becomes a major villainous figure. Teller will also play a villain, a Dauntless bully named Peter. Eckhart seems logical for the role of Marcus, an Abnegation leader and Four’s father.

James, who many people recognize from “Downton Abbey”, starred opposite Kate Beckinsale in “Underworld: Awakening.” Teller, Woodley’s co-star in the upcoming “The Spectacular Now”, is earning raves for that Sundance and SXSW hit, and recently wrapped up shooting on ensemble rom com “Are We Officially Dating?” with Zac Efron and Michael B. Jordan.

Jai Courtney to Play Eric in “Divergent” Opposite Shailene Woodley

March 14, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

jai-courtney Australian up and comer Jai Courtney is the latest to join the ever-growing cast of YA adaptation “Divergent”, and he too, will not be playing Four, the male lead of the series. Deadline reports Courtney will take the role of Eric opposite Shailene Woodley, Kate Winslet, Maggie Q, Zoe Kravitz and Ansel Elgort.

Neil Burger will direct the film based on Veronica Roth’s bestselling teen dystopian series, which sees Woodley’s Tris Prior living in a society that’s divided into factions (Dauntless, Abnegation, Amity, Candor, and Erudite), and each person is sorted into each faction based on a personality test that determines their dominant character traits. Born into the selfless faction Abnegation, Tris shocks her family when she opts to join Dauntless, the brave, instead. There she meets Four, a fellow Abnegation defector who has now taken on a leadership role in their new faction. Eric is the ruthless leader of the Dauntless, who has a heated rivalry with Four. Elgort plays Tris’ brother, Kravitz a friend and Q a tattoo artist who knows the secrets of their shady society.

Courtney is one of our Faces to Watch in 2013 and is certainly living up to the challenge. Aside from “Divergent”, he has been landing big roles in blockbuster projects left and right, the most recent of which were “Jack Reacher” opposite Tom Cruise and “A Good Day to Die Hard”, in which he played Bruce Willis’ son. Later this year he’ll be seen opposite Aaron Eckhart in “I, Frankenstein” and with Joel Edgerton in gritty indie drama “Felony.”

Watch: First Footage of Shailene Woodley On the Set of Gregg Araki’s “White Bird in a Blizzard”

March 12, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Videos Leave a comment

whitebirdfeaturette

The first behind the scenes featurette of Gregg Araki’s newest indie drama “White Bird in a Blizzard” has been released by Screen Slam and it features our first look at Araki and star Shailene Woodley filming some scenes as well as talking about the dark coming of age tale.

Woodley plays Kat, a teenager whose life is turned upside down following the disappearance of her mother (played by Eva Green). Araki compares the film to “American Beauty” in its examination of the dark underbelly that hides underneath picturesque suburban families. Christopher Meloni, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe and Shiloh Fernandez round out the supporting cast and Woodley also reveals in the new video that the story takes place in the late 1980s/early 1990s.

“White Bird in a Blizzard”, based on the novel by Laura Kasischke, has no distribution yet but is a possibility to have its world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where Araki last premiered “Kaboom” in 2010. The BTS featurette can be found below.

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