You have to give James Franco credit for trying a great many different things, from graduate studies to acting to writing and directing short films and transitioning up to features. Franco has plans to adapt a couple of the more challenging authors around, Cormac McCarthy (Blood Meridian) and William Faulkner (As I Lay Dying), in the immediate future.
But first there is The Broken Tower, a film about poet Hart Crane that Franco wrote, directed and stars in, with Michael Shannon and Dave Franco also playing roles. The film premiered at the LA Film Festival to mixed reviews, and now that the first teaser trailer has arrived, you’ll probably be able to guess some of the reasons for the shaky reception. Read More »
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Posted on Monday, December 19th, 2011 by Angie Han
Though it’s being touted as a remake of the ’80s TV series starring Johnny Depp, anyone with even a passing familiarity with the source material will recognize that Phil Lord and Chris Miller‘s upcoming action-comedy 21 Jump Street has little in common with its predecessor.
No, the real draw of the action-comedy so far looks to be in the surprisingly lively chemistry between leads Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum — and accordingly, two new bits of marketing from Columbia highlight just that. After the jump, check out a new trailer in which the pair team up to break all the rules spelled out by their supervising officer (Ice Cube) and a poster that shows off the two guys making the cutest prom couple ever.
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Posted on Monday, November 7th, 2011 by Angie Han
The new 21 Jump Street obviously doesn’t have a whole lot in common with the ’80s series it’s based on, aside from than the basic premise (undercover cops posing as high-schoolers) and an appearance by the still-dreamy Johnny Depp. So it’s probably not fair to judge it as an adaptation of the TV show. On its own merits, though, it appears to be a pretty decent buddy cop action-comedy. Last week’s red-band trailer made me laugh, and this week’s green-band trailer did as well. Probably because it’s mostly the same thing, only with less profanity.
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star as a pair of supposedly youthful-looking cops who get assigned to a certain “cancelled undercover program from the ’80s,” as their boss (Nick Offerman) puts it. Watch the SFW version of the trailer after the jump.
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As the American Film Market goes on, we see a lot of synopsis and sales art releases for upcoming films. A lot of times these aren’t all that illuminating, because the synopsis info just rehashes what we already know, and the sales art is created before anything is ever shot, so at best it can only get across the most basic idea of the film. (Comepare, for example, the sales art for Drive to the final posters.)
But Louis Leterrier has a movie shooting early next year called Now You See Me that might be worth highlighting once more. I’m interested in the film because it represents a break from the movies Leterrier has done in the past (The Transporter, The Incredible Hulk, Clash of the Titans) and in part because it has a pretty impressive cast led by Mark Ruffalo and Jesse Eisenberg. The sales art out of AFM positions the film, tonally, in Ocean’s Eleven territory, while the synopsis clarifies a few roles for some of the actors. Both are below. Read More »
Louis Leterrier‘s magician heist movie Now You See Me keeps getting better. The movie features a story about a group of illusionists who rob banks during their performances, and then give at least some of the proceeds out to the audience, even as the FBI is hot on their tail.
The cast already includes Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, Isla Fisher, Melanie Laurent, Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco, and now Michael Caine has signed on to play Arthur Tressler, the sponsor of the illusionists. The film will be released on January 18, 2013, and unless we see a trailer that looks simply horrible, Now You See Me will be high on our list of anticipated popcorn movies until that date arrives. [Moviehole]
After the break, Olivia Wilde and Steve Buscemi join the cast of another magician film, Burt Wonderstone, while Vin Diesel and David Twohy continue to try and perfect the magic trick of getting a third Riddick film made. Read More »
Posted on Friday, October 28th, 2011 by Angie Han
Hailee Steinfeld, Dave Franco, and Deborah Ann Woll have been offered the leads in Rosaline, a retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet that’s told from the perspective of the girl Romeo ditches to be with Juliet. Michael Sucsy is directing from a script by by (500) Days of Summer writers Scott Neustader and Michael H. Weber, which in turn is an adaptation of Rebecca Serle‘s forthcoming debut novel When You Were Mine. The comedy will use modern-day dialogue in a 16th-century Verona setting.
Woll would play the title character, while Franco and Steinfeld could play Romeo and Juliet, respectively. If Steinfeld signs on it’ll be her second time playing the iconic character, as she’s also lined up to play Juliet for Carlo Carlei’s more straightforward adaptation. Much as I like Steinfeld, her casting here strikes me as a bit off since she’s eleven years younger than Woll and Franco — but maybe that’s part of the story? [Showblitz]
After the jump, Anne Hathaway becomes a producer, and Sawyer from Lost explores the world of competitive international breakdancing. Really.
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Posted on Friday, October 14th, 2011 by Angie Han
Dave Franco has become the latest addition to Summit’s magician heist film Now You See Me, boarding a very promising cast that already includes Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Melanie Laurent, Morgan Freeman, Isla Fisher, and Woody Harrelson. Franco is probably still best known for being the younger brother of Oscar nominee/host James Franco, but he’s become a rising star in his own right, with his recent turn in Fright Night and his upcoming appearances in 21 Jump Street and the zombie romance Warm Bodies.
Louis Leterrier is directing the film from a script by Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt. The film follows a group of illusionists called the Four Horsemen, who pull off bank heists during their stage shows and then shower their oblivious audiences with the stolen cash. Franco will play one of the Four Horsemen, joining Eisenberg, who plays the team’s arrogant leader. [Deadline]
After the jump, Thor’s kid brother books yet another new role.
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Posted on Monday, April 11th, 2011 by Angie Han
Dave Franco, a.k.a. “Younger Brother of James,” has signed on to 21 Jump Street, the cinematic remake of the ‘80s show that launched Johnny Depp’s career. The plot revolves around cops (Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum) who go undercover to investigate drug dealings at a high school. Franco will play a popular high school student who deals drugs on the side. Ice Cube, Rob Riggle, and Brie Larson are also part of the cast. The picture will be directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the team behind 2009’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
After the break, Depp considers a return to 21 Jump Street, and Zach Galifianakis drops out of R.I.P.D.
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