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

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 Read more

Dylan O'Brien Lands "The Maze Runner" Lead; Ki Hong Lee Also Joins

UPDATE: Director Wes Ball tweets that Ki Hong Lee has also joined the cast as Minho, a fellow Glader and ally to Thomas throughout the series. Lee is probably best known as a regular on short-lived ABC Family Read more

Shailene Woodley Confirmed for "The Fault in Our Stars"

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 Read more

Up and Comers Presents: 20 Faces to Watch in 2013

After a somewhat unpredictable year in which the stars we expected to break out largely didn't but fresh faces came out of nowhere to surprise us all, we are ready to look ahead to the new talent waiting to Read more

Up and Comers Presents: The Breakout Stars of 2012

Another year, another new crop of fresh talent. Just like last year, the hardest part is narrowing down which of the dozens of the year's rising stars shone the brightest. This year we heralded the arrival of the unlikeliest Read more

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Jennifer Lawrence to Produce and Star in True Life Tale “The Rules of Inheritance”

June 5, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 3 Comments

jennifer-lawrence What’s next for the girl who’s already conquered the box office and the Oscars by age 22? Getting behind the camera, naturally. Jennifer Lawrence will produce and star in the big screen adaptation of Claire Bidwell Smith’s memoir “The Rules of Inheritance”, according to Variety, with a little help from her friends: “Serena” director Susanne Bier is jumping on board to direct her for the second time and “Silver Linings Playbook” producer Bruce Cohen will be guiding the young movie star in her first producing gig.

Smith’s 2012 memoir is a coming of age tale and chronicled her own journey as a young woman who lost both of her parents to cancer over the course of seven years: “As Claire hurtles towards loss she throws herself at anything she thinks might help her cope with the weight of this harsh reality: boys, alcohol, traveling, and the anonymity of cities like New York and Los Angeles. By the time she is twenty-five years old they are both gone and Claire is very much alone in the world.” Abi Morgan is adapting the screenplay.

Lawrence is seeking more creative control over her projects after a major breakout year that has afforded her such luxuries. She helped propel “The Hunger Games” to a massive worldwide box office, then followed it up by winning the Best Actress Oscar for “Silver Linings Playbook.” Of course, it was already her second nomination in the category, having dropped onto the scene when the unknown star of “Winter’s Bone” was nominated alongside the likes of Annette Bening and Natalie Portman in 2011. This year she has “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and another potential Oscar juggernaut, David O. Russell’s “American Hustle”, as well as Bier’s “Serena”, awaiting release. Currently she’s reprising her role as Mystique in sequel “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”

Bradley Cooper Replacing Jude Law as “Jane Got a Gun” Villain

April 5, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 2 Comments

After a shaky start, production on western “Jane Got a Gun” appears to finally be getting back on track with the final piece of the missing puzzle now in place. Deadline reports Bradley Cooper has filled the villain role in the film which was vacated by Jude Law after he exited the project along with director Lynn Ramsay.

Natalie Portman stars in the film, which will now be directed by Gavin O’Connor, as a woman who must defend her home when her outlaw husband returns injured and with a pursuing gang in tow. She turns to an ex-lover (Joel Edgerton) for help. Michael Fassbender had originally been set for Edgerton’s role, with Edgerton in place for the villain role, but in the first of many rounds of musical chairs on this film, Fassbender exited and Edgerton got “promoted” to the bigger part, vacating his original role as the leader of the gang for Law, and then for Cooper. Still with me?

I’m not sure how the scheduling on this worked out for Cooper, as “Jane” is two weeks into filming and Cooper has been in Boston for about the same amount of time shooting David O. Russell’s untitled Abscam thriller with Christian Bale and Amy Adams. The fact that he’s supporting rather than lead in both films probably helped. He’s coming off his first Oscar nomination in “Silver Linings Playbook”, another Russell film, and has attached himself to a plethora of in development upcoming projects. He can currently be seen opposite Ryan Gosling in “The Place Beyond the Pines” and will next reprise his role in “The Hangover Part III”, and then opposite “Silver Linings” co-star Jennifer Lawrence in “Serena.”

Bradley Cooper to Star in and Maybe Direct Remake of German Film “Kokowaah”

February 27, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

bradley-cooper What’s next for Bradley Cooper now that he’s proven himself a serious, Oscar-nominated actor? Maybe directing. Deadline reports Cooper is developing a remake of German film “Kokowaah” as a starring vehicle and is also considering stepping behind the camera. But if he doesn’t direct this one, he is on active lookout for another film to make his feature directorial debut on.

In “Kokowaah” (a working title if there ever was one), Cooper will play one of two men, carefree bachelor Henry or married father Trevor. The lives of the two men are unraveled when the shocking identity of the father of Trevor’s 8 year old daughter is revealed. We can see where this is going. German crossover star Til Schweiger played Henry in the original 2011 film, so it’s likely Cooper is eyeing the bachelor role as well.

But “Kokowaah” marks yet another in-development project Cooper has attached himself to that are probably nowhere near ready to roll camera yet. Culinary comedy “Chef”, murder mystery “The Man From Primrose Lane” and WWII thriller “Dark Invasion” are also part of his long term plans. In the short term, Cooper will reunite with “Silver Linings Playbook” director David O. Russell and co-star Jennifer Lawrence this spring on an untitled political thriller about the 1970s sting operation Abscam. Cooper and Lawrence have already shot and are awaiting the release of their second feature together, “Serena”, which should hit this year, while “The Hangover III” and Toronto hit “The Place Beyond the Pines” are also ready for their audiences.

Jennifer Lawrence, Anne Hathaway and the Complete List of Oscar Winners

February 24, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Awards Leave a comment

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Jennifer Lawrence, the youngest two-time Best Actress nominee ever, just took home her fist Oscar for “Silver Linings Playbook.” The big winner of the night was “Argo”, which won Best Picture without its director, Ben Affleck, even being nominated for Best Director. The winner in that category went to Ang Lee for “Life of Pi”, who has now won Best Director twice without his filing winning Best Picture.

In the other acting categories, Anne Hathaway, the biggest lock of the night, won her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “Les Miserables”, while Daniel Day Lewis was announced as Best Actor for “Lincoln” by Meryl Streep, who didn’t even bother opening the envelope containing the winner’s name! In the widest open category of the night, Christoph Waltz took home the Best Supporting Actor trophy for “Django Unchained.” He won two years ago in the same category for another Quentin Tarantino film, “Inglourious Basterds.”

Below are the full list of winners from tonight’s Academy Awards, in the order they were handed out during the show.

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“Silver Linings Playbook” Dominates Independent Spirit Awards

February 23, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Awards Leave a comment

Best Film: Silver Linings Playbook
Best Director: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Best Cinematography: Ben Richardson, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Best Male Lead: John Hawkes, The Sessions
Best Female Lead: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Cassavetes Award: Middle of Nowhere
Best Screenplay: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Best International Film: Amour
Best Supporting Actress: Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Best Supporting Actor: Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike
Best First Feature: Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
First Screenplay: Derek Connolly, Safety not Guaranteed
Best Documentary: The Invisible War

Thanks to Awards Daily.

Oscar Spotlight: Bradley Cooper Loses The Hangover

February 23, 2013 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Features 1 Comment

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In our Oscar Spotlight series we take a look at rising stars who have this year gained the biggest accolade in Hollywood, an Academy Award nomination. In a year filled with incredible performances, none of our chosen actors were considered a shoo-in. Taken from three of the acting categories, we present …

Bradley Cooper Loses The Hangover

Nearly four years after its release, Bradley Cooper‘s name is still synonymous with “The Hangover“. In the years that followed Cooper tried but never quite managed to prove he had something to offer beyond playing the handsome jerk. In 2013, however, it might be fair to say the American actor has finally broken through, with his first Oscar nomination for a captivating performance in “Silver Linings Playbook.

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Oscar Spotlight: Jennifer Lawrence Conquers Hollywood

February 22, 2013 | Posted by Rebecca Lewis in Features 1 Comment

jenniferSLP

In our Oscar Spotlight series we take a look at rising stars who have this year gained the biggest accolade in Hollywood, an Academy Award nomination. In a year filled with incredible performances, none of our chosen actors were considered a shoo-in. Taken from three of the acting categories, we present …

Jennifer Lawrence Conquers Hollywood

In 2010 Jennifer Lawrence burst onto the scene with indie film “Winter’s Bone“, giving one of the best leading actress performances in recent memory and cementing her status with an Oscar nomination. Two years later, Lawrence once again finds herself a Best Actress nominee – for the equally challenging role of Tiffany in “Silver Linings Playbook” – but this time, she is no longer a fresh face on the indie scene, but a worldwide star.

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“Silver Linings Playbook” reunion in full swing as Jennifer Lawrence joins Bradley Cooper in David O. Russell’s next

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

The Jennifer Lawrence-Bradley Cooper box set is well on its way to becoming a reality as Deadline reports the “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Serena” co-stars have cemented their third project together. Cooper had been cast in “Silver Linings” director David O. Russell’s next film nearly a year ago, and today Lawrence has signed on to join the reunion. The political thriller also stars Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner.

The film, originally called “American Bullshit” but now untitled, will follow the real life political drama Abscam, which was set up by the FBI in the 1970s and 80s. An FBI employee posed as a fictional Middle Eastern sheik named Kraim Abdul Rahman, who was videotaped taking meetings with government officials in which they agreed to take money for helping him gain asylum in the US, among other illegal activities. The investigation culminated in the conviction of a United States Senator and five members of the House of Representatives. Lawrence will play Bale’s wife.

With filming set for spring, Lawrence is about to have an even busier year as she wraps up “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and prepares to film “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” She’s also attached to historical drama “The Ends of the Earth” and memoir adaptation “The Glass Castle”, which she’ll have to fit in between “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay” (a two-parter) and however many more X-Men sequels she’s contractually obligated to.

Jennifer Lawrence charms, squirms under the spotlight at SBIFF’s Performer of the Year Tribute [w/ Exclusive Images]

February 4, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Awards, Features, Images Leave a comment

Jennifer Lawrence is not very good at taking compliments, which must have made Saturday night rather torturous for the newly minted two-time Oscar nominee. The compliments kept piling on at Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Outstanding Performer of the Year Award Tribute dedicated to her incredible 2012 run, and after more than an hour of enduring words of praise from moderator Roger Durling, Lawrence joked, “I’m not going to say thank you anymore, I’m just going to say shut up.”

Lawrence joined festival director Durling onstage as they painstakingly went through her still short but already impressive acting resume, from her feature film debut in Lori Petty’s “The Poker House” to her newest, David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook”, in which she plays the vibrant, explosive and complex Tiffany and for which she just received her second Best Actress Oscar nomination, making her the youngest two-time nominee ever in the category. Lawrence charmed the audience and made them laugh out loud, perhaps none louder than Russell, who would later present Lawrence her trophy and who would call her talent “kissed by angels.”

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“The Intouchables” star Omar Sy to make English-language debut opposite Bradley Cooper in Derek Cianfrance’s “Chef”

January 30, 2013 | Posted by Linda Ge in Casting 1 Comment

Two of the biggest breakout stars of the 2012 award season are teaming up for a new project. Variety reports Bradley Cooper and French “The Intouchables” star Omar Sy are attached to culinary-themed comedy “Chef”, which The Weinstein Company is developing and which will be directed by Derek Cianfrance.

Cooper will play a disgraced chef who loses his restaurant in Paris and decides to bring his entire kitchen crew with him and attempt to open the best restaurant in London. Presumably Sy will play one of his kitchen staff. Like many of Cooper’s projects though, this one is a ways off from production. Variety reports Cooper told French radio station RTL “I’m going to make another film in March and after that I think I’m going to take a break and stay in Paris for Roland Garros (the tennis tournament set in late May).” In the meantime, Steven Knight will write the screenplay for “Chef.”

“Chef” will now join “The Man From Primrose Lane” and “Dark Invasion” as in-development Cooper-starring vehicles that aren’t completely firmed up yet. The film he begins in March may very well be a reteam with “Silver Linings Playbook” director David O. Russell on a new untitled film co-starring Christian Bale, Jeremy Renner and Amy Adams. Sy, meanwhile, moved to Los Angeles last year but will continue to make French movies. He is attached to “Chocolat”, a biopic of Rafael Padilla, “a former slave born in Cuba who became the first black artist in France during the Belle Epoque era” which will film in early 2014.

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