Briefly: 2011 was a great year for Woody Allen. His playful, entertaining film Midnight in Paris turned into the year’s runaway arthouse hit, taking in $60m to become Allen’s greatest domestic success. Sony Classics has distributed the director’s last few films and after their stellar success with Midnight in Paris, I think it has been pretty much a foregone conclusion that his next movie, Nero Fiddled, would go out via the company as well.
Variety reports that deal has been set, with Sony Classics picking up North American and UK rights to the film, which stars Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig and Ellen Page. As is typically the case with a new Allen film we don’t know much about the plot — all we’ve got is that the Rome-set film “consists of four separate vignettes — two with American characters, two with Italian characters — but the vignettes never intersect.”
The film will get a summer 2012 release, and is a likely bet for a Cannes debut.
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Posted on Monday, December 19th, 2011 by Angie Han
We’ve already had the chance to ooh and ahh over most of the Sundance Film Festival 2012 slate earlier this month, but with weeks to go until the festival four latecomers have just been announced. There are a few last-minute additions every year; last year’s included Miranda July’s The Future, while 2010′s included Lisa Cholodenko’s The Kids Are All Right.
This year, we have the intriguingly titled sci-fi John Dies at the End; This Must Be the Place, starring Sean Penn as an aging rock star; Jesse Eisenberg and Melissa Leo‘s new comedy Predisposed; and the Norwegian drama Oslo, August 31st. Read the descriptions 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 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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This past summer, Woody Allen enjoyed the unexpected success of his film Midnight in Paris, which has been going strong in arthouses since May with over $100m earned worldwide. He also shot a new film in Rome, and for quite some time he was planning to call the movie Bop Decameron. There’s a lot to like about that title — it’s very Woody Allen, and even a good bit more jaunty than most of his titles. But it isn’t the sort of title that will keep a movie on screens for six months. Midnight in Paris sounds romantic and enticing. Bop Decameron sounds like… well, I imagine Woody realized a lot of people might not know what it sounds like.
So the film is now called Nero Fiddled. Not as jaunty or romantic, but at least people will know what he’s talking about. I hope. Read More »
Louis Leterrier‘s heist film Now You See Me is one that I think has been flying under the radar for a lot of people so far, but it is shaping up to be a really promising picture. The basics are that Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, Isla Fisher and Melanie Laurent make up the bulk of the cast.
The story is crazy, as it follows the pursuit of a group of thieving illusionists by an FBI squad. The illusionists rob banks during their performances, and shower the audience with some or all of the proceeds. It’s an utterly ridiculous premise, and I can only hope that with the cast that has assembled, there’s something to the script that makes it work like crazy. And now Woody Harrelson has come on board to reunite with his Zombieland cohort Jesse Eisenberg and pull some heists. Read More »
Posted on Friday, September 16th, 2011 by Angie Han
Denzel Washington has reportedly been offered the lead role in the English-language remake of The Secret in Their Eyes, which is being helmed by Billy Ray (Shattered Glass). The original Argentinian version, by director Juan José Campanella, was a critical success that won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Picture in 2010. In other words, no wonder someone in Hollywood’s decided to try and make it all over again.
The dramatic thriller centers around a retired criminal court investigator turned would-be novelist who’s struggling to get over a murder case and a romance that have haunted him for decades. Campanella’s film won raves for its unpredictable plotting, impressive camerawork, and excellent performances. I don’t think the American version sounds bad, so much as just pointless — but if it has to get remade, I suppose there are worse choices than Ray and Washington. [First Showing]
After the jump, Will Forte joins Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn in Neighborhood Watch, and Isla Fisher lands magician heist flick Now You See Me.
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