Public Enemies - What Did You Think?
Our first look at Josh Brolin in his Jonah Hex costume, not to mention make-up, has appeared on the Lainey Gossip blog. The main thrust of their story is some rather un-/Filmy jibber jabber about Brolin’s private life, but they decided to illustrate it with some Jonah Hex paparazzi shots from this last weekend’s shooting. Sample all three of the Brolin images after the jump, and don’t forget that there’s already been some snaps of Megan Fox in her rather… er… overt costume.
Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich - Jonah Hex Gets His Man With the Eagle-Topped Cane
Posted on Thursday, February 12th, 2009 by Brendon Connelly
Variety have reported the casting of John Malkovich in Jimmy Hayward’s Jonah Hex. I’ve believed this was inevitable for some time now, and if you keep reading, I’ll show you why.
Malkovich will be playing Quentin Turnbull, probably the key recurring villain from the comics. According to the series’ storyline, Turbnull’s son Jeb was Jonah Hex’s best friend in the Confederate army but after Jeb was killed by Union soldiers who framed Hex as a turncoat, Turnbull senior swore vengeance and they became bitter enemies. I expect all of these events will figure in the film somehow - so we can probably also expect Jeb Turnbull casting at some point soon.
Netflix has announced that they will be holding their own Project Greenlight of sorts. The Netflix FIND Your Voice Film Competition will award one aspiring filmmaker the means, guidance and resources to make a full-length, narrative film. In addition to production resources needed to make the film, the winner will receive a $150,000 cash production grant funded by Netflix. Actor Josh Brolin will serve as honorary chair and panel judge and the winner’s film will be given distribution online at Netflix.
Read the full press release after the jump.
Crank directors Neveldine/Taylor left Warner Bros live-action adaptation of Jonah Hex over creative differences, leaving a gaping hole in the director’s chair. So who has Warner Bros found to replace the Crank madmen behind the camera?
Jimmy Hayward
You might be asking yourself who Jimmy Hayward is. I know I was when I read the announcement over on THR. Hayward was an animator on the early Pixar movies: Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monster’s Inc and Finding Nemo. He left Pixar to get his first shot in the director’s chair over at Blue Sky Studios, 20th Century Fox’s computer animation house. He directed 2008’s Horton Hears a Who! and did some additional direction on Robots.
Yes, that’s right - Jonah Hex will be Hayward’s live-action directorial debut. Warner Bros hopes to put the project into production in March or April, with Neveldine/Taylor’s screenplay, which begs the question — why did Neveldine/Taylor leave over “creative differences” if they’re using the same screenplay they wrote. I’m sure there is a lot more to the story. Josh Brolin is still attached to star.
Jonah Hex is a former alcoholic and confederate soldier turned supernatural loner and gunslinger. The comic book was introduced in the 1970’s, created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga, the character received his signature scar at the hands of Indians who placed a hot tomahawk to his face. His mother was a prostitute and his dad sold him into slavery.
WTF: New York Film Critics Name Josh Brolin Best Supporting Actor Over Heath Ledger?!
Posted on Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
Yesterday Hollywood was a buzz with news that the Los Angeles Film Critics had awarded WALL-E “Best Picture of the Year”, a first for an animated film. Today the New York Film Critics Circle announced their yearly award winners, and the list is just as shocking - Josh Brolin (Milk) edged out Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) for the Best Supporting Actor award. One could argue that Brolin’s performance was a lot more subtle and understated, while the natural instinct is to award the “theatrical”. I liked Brolin in Milk, but any other year he wouldn’t have even been in the running for nominations. What do you think? Comment below!
NYFCC also named Milk “Best Picture” and Mike Leigh “Best Director”… What?! Many insiders look towards the big city film critics awards as a sign of what may happen come Oscar time. You can read the full New York Film Critics Circle Awards results below:
Best Picture: Milk
Best Director: Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
Best Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Best Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, Milk
Best Supporting Actress: Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Screenplay: Jenny Lumet, Rachel Getting Married
Best Cinematographer: Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire
Best Animated Film: Wall-E
Best First Film: Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
Best Foreign Film: 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Best Documentary: Man on Wire
Terminator Salvation Running Time Revealed? Josh Brolin was Almost a Terminator!
Posted on Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
Remember earlier in the year when rumor spread across the interwebs that Josh Brolin would be playing a Terminator in McG’s Terminator Salvation? Well it turns out there was something to the rumor after all. Brolin admitted to MTV that he was in talks to join the production.
“Yeah. I talked to Christian [Bale] for a couple hours,” Brolin told MTV. “I really liked the script though I hear that’s not what they filmed. The one I read was very interesting and dark. Ultimately though I didn’t think it felt right.”
Brolin would probably have played the character of Marcus, which is played by Avatar star Sam Worthington in the completed film. And speaking of the completed film, McG told a German Newspaper that the final running time for the movie will be around 2 hours and 10 minutes! So those of you who are expecting a 90 or 100 minute popcorn movie, might want to think again.
Neveldine/Taylor Leave Jonah Hex Over Creative Differences
Posted on Thursday, November 20th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta
I’ll be perfectly honest, the only reason I was ever interested in Warner Bros’ big screen adaptation of Jonah Hex, was the involvement of filmmakers Neveldine/Taylor, the insane directing team behind Crank. Variety reports that Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have decided to leave the project because of “creative differences” with the movie studio over the direction of the comic book adaptation.
So what now? Warner Bros is quickly trying to find a replacement, as potential star Josh Brolin currently has time in his schedule for a Spring 2009 start. If Warner Bros isn’t able to find someone up to the task soon, this sounds like one of those projects that could easily fall into development heck.
Jonah Hex is a former alcoholic and confederate soldier turned supernatural loner and gunslinger. The comic book was introduced in the 1970’s, created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga, the character received his signature scar at the hands of Indians who placed a hot tomahawk to his face. His mother was a prostitute and his dad sold him into slavery.
Discuss: Do you still want to see a Jonah Hex movie? And if so, who would you like to see direct?
Last month the Jeff Wells reported that Josh Brolin was in talks to star in Neveldine/Taylor’s big screen adaptation of Jonah Hex. Apparently it isn’t a done deal yet. We hoped to talk to Brolin about the film while he was in town for the premiere of Milk, but our roundtable interview was instantly transformed into a press conference, and the opportunity disappeared.
Thankfully our friends at Collider was able to talk to Josh about the project at the Los Angeles press day, and frankly, it doesn’t sound good. When first asked if he was going to star in Jonah Hex, Brolin quickly replied “Nope.” That “nope” changed to a “don’t know yet”, and Brolin admitted that he hasn’t even met with directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. Brolin commented on how he has a lot of choices, including an unnamed film by Tony Scott which he really wants to do, but he is having a tough time deciding.
“I think Jonah Hex is a really, really interesting story. I think it would be risky also, which I like, and I don’t know if it’s the thing to do,” Brolin said, later adding that “[Neveldine and Taylor] are good people. They’re very good people.”
Neveldine and Taylor have said that they hope to begin production in March 2009, and that’s only a few months away. Hey, there’s always Thomas Jane.
In this episode of the /Filmcast, Dave, Devindra, and Adam are joined by Devin Faraci from Chud.com to console each other after facing an emotional onslaught in Dear Zachary, lament the loss of Terrence Howard in Iron Man 2, debate Zach Snyder’s changes to the Watchmen film ending, and try to pretend the last eight years didn’t happen while reviewing Oliver Stone’s W.
Have any questions, comments, concerns, feedback, or praise? E-mail us at slashfilmcast@gmail.com or call and leave a voicemail at 781-583-1993. Join us next next week as we review Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In.
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Focus Features has released 13 new production photos from Gus Van Sant’s Milk. The film will premiere in San Francisco next week at the historic Castro Theatre. Check out 12 more photos after the jump.
Jeffrey Wells is reporting that Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men) has signed on to star in the big screen adaptation of DC Comic’s Jonah Hex.
Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the mad men behind Crank, Jonah Hex is a former alcoholic and confederate soldier turned supernatural loner and gunslinger. The comic book was introduced in the 1970’s, created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga, the character received his signature scar at the hands of Indians who placed a hot tomahawk to his face. His mother was a prostitute and his dad sold him into slavery.
Neveldine/Taylor have said that they don’t plan on “making a straight-ahead Western but plan to develop the character with some of the supernatural overtones in the hopes of creating a franchise.” Wells insists that a deal was signed last night, but Brolin’s reps are in full denial mode. If true this would be a huge score for the western comic book property. Brolin’s performance in Oliver Stone’s W. is already getting award buzz. Last I heard, Neveldine/Taylor were planning to begin shooting in March 2009 in either Louisiana, Georgia or Arizona.
Discuss: What do you think about Josh Brolin as Jonah Hex?
The reviews for Oliver Stone’s W. have begun to show up online, and aside from Josh Brolin’s “magnificent” performance, the buzz is pretty mild:
Jeff Wells writes: “Josh Brolin’s performance as George W. Bush being dead perfect but — and this, I believe, is a crucial distinction — appropriately hollow. Which means that on some level the performance, like the film itself, leaves you feeling a wee bit flat and wanting more.”
The Hollywood Reporter’s Kirk Honeycutt writes: “It’s a gutsy movie but not necessarily a good one. Its greatest strength is that it wants to talk about what’s on our minds right now and not wait for historians.” … “What he seems to want is Greek tragedy. But what he gets is Texas melodrama.”
Screen Daily’s Mike Goodridge writes: “Oliver Stone has an uncanny knack of making movies which are better appreciated many years after they are made, and W feels like it will be one of them.” … “At its best, it holds up as a dramatized character study of the father and son presidents which will be watched keenly in years to come. At its worst, it is submerged by an over-populated cast of characters and a tone which shifts awkwardly between dramatic storytelling and smartass political comedy.”
David Poland writes: “Brolin should be nominated for the Oscar. We’ll see whether the crowd around Best Actor is too big for him to crack, but it is a letter perfect performance that looks much, much easier than most critics and audiences, I think, will understand.” … “Brolin is magnificent in a way very different than Langella in Frost/Nixon or Hopkins in Stone’s Nixon. It is not an imitation, yet it is a perfect imitation… and you don’t just see that every day.”
Variety’s Todd McCarthy writes: “Oliver Stone’s unusual and inescapably interesting “W.” feels like a rough draft of a film it might behoove him to remake in 10 or 15 years.” … ““W.” is, if anything, overly conventional, especially stylistically. The picture possesses dramatic and entertainment value, but beyond serious filmgoers curious about how Stone deals with all this president’s men and women, it’s questionable how wide a public will pony up to immerse itself in a story that still lacks an ending.”
Emanuel Levy writes: “Too late (or too early), too little, too restrained, and too conventional.” … “a strong, compelling and entertaining turn from Josh Brolin” … “[the tone] is too restrained and solemn to qualify as a social or political satire.” … “As a film, W. represents a passable entertainment, one that’s easy to take and be moderately engaged in. However, lacking real bite and criticism, and mostly rehashing facts that are known about Bush fils’ earlier life.”
