Chris Hemsworth, the Norse god Thor himself, revealed recently that he helped brother Liam rehearse for his Hunger Games auditions by reading the part of Katniss aloud. Liam eventually landed the part of Gale, one of two young men in love with Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) in Lionsgate's 2012 adaptation of Suzanne Collins's YA novels, but lest you assume that means the elder Hemsworth is unequivocally on Team Gale, think again. Talking with Movieline he explains his ties to Liam's future on-screen rival, Josh Hutcherson, and how they've landed him firmly in the middle of the Peeta-Gale conflict.
more »
From the Steel City to Gotham City. Christopher Nolan will shoot The Dark Knight Rises in Pittsburgh this summer, to the delight of Wiz Khalifa and Troy Polamalu. "Pittsburgh is a beautiful city," Nolan said in a statement. "We have been able to find everything we were looking for here, and I am excited to spend the summer in Pittsburgh with our final installment of Batman." Sorry, Chicago; you're stuck with Michael Bay. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
While discussing the underwhelming first trailer for The Hangover Part II recently, director Todd Phillips bemoaned the fact that he couldn't reveal all the good stuff in the marketing. "[T]he truth is, we're constrained by the fact that we're R-rated, so you can't give -- even the trailer you just saw, that's a PG-13 trailer, so by the nature of the movie, we're holding so much stuff back just because you can't show it." Maybe he should have held back even more? At least according to the MPAA.
more »
New Yorkers viewing their local newscasts Tuesday night were faced with the disturbing story of Tony Kadyhrob, a 68-year-old Lawrence, N.J., resident banned from state college campuses after allegedly grabbing a female Rider University student; he'd also been spotted at and escorted from the College of New Jersey as well. He's now on bail facing charges of criminal luring -- which would be creepy enough without looking just like Christopher Walken.
more »
Ripped from the conversations at his own dinner table! Long Island fertility specialist Dr. Avner Hershlag -- the man better know Natalie Portman's father -- is shopping his debut novel Misconception to publishing houses. A "reproductive thriller" about cloning and embryos, don't be surprised when Darren Aronofsky and Natalie Portman team up again in five years to adapt Misconception, and take another swing at the whole Rosemary's Baby thing they did in Black Swan. [NYO]
Also in this Wednesday edition of The Broadsheet: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies inching ever closer to a director... Jackie Chan's will won't include his son... Sylvester Stallone's latest film loses its director... and more ahead.
more »
Sad, sobering news: Israeli actor and peace activist Juliano Mer-Khamis, who played Seikh Saabah in Julian Schnabel and Rula Jebreal's Miral, was shot and killed by a masked gunman Monday. Worse still, the murder took place just outside his "Freedom Theater," a drama and culture center that he set up inside a Palestinian refugee camp. Said a Miral rep, "Rula and Julian were very shocked at this tragic news." [New York Post]
Now that marketing is kicking into gear for the final half-chapter of the Harry Potter saga, fans everywhere are starting to feel the disappointment and sadness that comes with the ending of a beloved movie franchise. But you know who's feeling it even more? Producers and studio execs! For them, ending this series is like taking a huge bulldozer to a perfectly healthy money tree! So naturally, everyone's now scrambling to find the next Harry Potter. Right now, two children's fantasy series, Eli Anderson's Oscar Pill books and Joseph Delaney's The Wardstone Chronicles, are competing for the prize. But which one will triumph?
more »
Sure, these days anyone with Final Cut and some free time can create a montage honoring everything from Pixar's legacy to profanity in Boston movies. But, here's a reminder of the lengths geeks had to go before computer editing software, courtesy of Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World director Edgar Wright. In 1993, Wright apparently holed up for several long weekends in a VHS editing suite to create this mash up of movie-clips featuring people with guns.
more »
Kevin Smith's attempt at do-it-yourself distribution method may be driving the filmmaker crazy but he is still determined for his fans to see his indie horror film Red State. Just how determined? The writer/director/producer is auctioning off over 300 pieces of movie memorabilia from his most popular films on April 10 to cover distribution costs. Ahead, some of Movieline's favorite items from the lot.
more »
Abbie Cornish didn't get to sing in the theatrical cut of Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch, but may soon be sharing her musical talents with the world. The Australian actress, who covers the May issue of Esquire UK, told the British mag that she'd like to record an album when her schedule opens up. "I would love to play here in Los Angeles... and record an album," she said. But Cornish won't be just any actress releasing a vanity album; the self-admitted hip-hop fan, who has been DJing since her teen years, has been performing with a crew for years. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the lady rapper known as Dusk!
more »
You'll recall that a year ago Movieline barely survived liveblogging The Human Centipede. We aren't experienced rectal seamstresses around here, so pardon our weak constitutions. But 12 months later, that festering fungus of a movie is much more palatable thanks to Emerson College and their blithe musical update! Take a look.
more »
Someone bang the casting gong. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World co-star Mae Whitman -- who you might remember as Ann from Arrested Development -- is in final negotiations to join The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the angsty Stephen Chbosky novel that John Malkovich's production company Mr. Mudd is adapting for the big screen. Whitman will play the protagonist's first girlfriend, "a tattooed vegetarian." Logan Lerman and Emma Watson have already been cast in the indie drama. [Variety]
A giant British costume collection that included several of The King's Speech military uniforms was destroyed in a fire purportedly set by 29-year-old Christopher Donnachie, who was arrested. I'm sorry if any of this was spurred by Movieline's fever dream where Helena Bonham Carter sets fire to Melissa Leo. This wasn't our intention. The arson comes on the heels of the giant homosexual fire that ripped through The King's Speech's set when it was a gay porn hub. [Contact Music]
With the exception of some stragglers, the final major piece of Rock of Ages casting became official last week when it was announced that relative newcomer Diego Gonzalez Boneta had won the lead role of Drew in the Adam Shankman-directed film. Which begs the question: Why not Constantine Maroulis, who originated the role on Broadway? As it turns out, the Tony nominee had one major thing going against him.
more »
