Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington play the star-crossed lovers of Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained , and I recently got a chance to sit down with both actors to talk about their roles and the film, which continues to build awards-season buzz . Washington says the film depicts “what you might do for love and how that could save you”, while Foxx calls the cast and crew an “artistic family tackling slavery in a most different way”. Best of all, they reveal there’s already talk of a Django Unchained sequel. Check out the full interview below: Get more on Django Unchained , in theaters Christmas Day. Follow Grace Randolph on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
With a turn as the sinister Billy Crash in Quentin Tarantino ‘s Django Unchained , Walton Goggins nails his second supporting appearance in a period Oscar contender this season. (His other 2012 prestige performance? Playing the meek Clay Hutchins in Steven Spielberg ‘s Lincoln .) Goggins sat down with Movieline/Behind the Trailer’s Grace Randolph to talk the necessary difficulties of depicting the brutality of slavery, why the need for retribution is utterly human, and how he feels about the path his career has taken during his two decades as a rising character actor. Get more on Django Unchained , in theaters Christmas Day. Follow Grace Randolph on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Christopher Nolan recently said it’s as tough for older actors to get roles as it is for older actresses. Not if you’re Alan Arkin . This has been a big week for the 78-year-old actor, who was nominated for a Golden Globe on Thursday for his performance as a crusty film producer in Argo. Earlier this week, Arkin ht the red carpet for his new flick Stand Up Guys in which he stars opposite Al Pacino and Christopher Walken. The film’s director Fisher Stevens was also on hand and told me he much prefers directing to acting. It’s better to paint the entire picture than just be a small part of it, he says. As for Julianna Margulies — another Golden Globe nominee for her work on The Good Wife — she said co-starring in the film was like taking a master class in acting. Hoo-ah! Check out my full interview below: Follow Movieline on Twitter . Follow Grace Randolph on Twitter . WebRep currentVote noRating noWeight
Kristen Stewart says it was director Walter Salles’ passion for On The Road that inspired her to sign on for the film. At the New York premiere for the film, the actress, who plays free-spirited Marylou (a character based on Beat icon Neal Cassady’s onetime wife LuAnne Henderson), Stewart told me she was impressed by the immersive research that Salles did — including a 2011 documentary called Searching for On The Road — in preparation for adapting Jack Kerouac’s novel for the screen. “There’s an honor to this story and to the project that is not typical in our business,” Stewart said. Salles is lucky to have her riding shotgun, too. Hollywood has been trying to turn On the Road into a movie since the year it was published, 1957, and Stewart’s immense star power was crucial to getting the job done. RELATED: Check out Movieline’s photo gallery of Kristen Stewart and Garrett Hedlund at the On The Road screening at AFI Fest Salles also talked to me at the premiere as did cast members Sam Riley , Garrett Hedlund and Kirsten Dunst and screenwriter Jose Rivera. It was fun to congratulate him for getting top billing on the movie poster — a rare thing indeed for writers in Hollywood. Check out my full interview below: MORE ON KRISTEN: Kristen Stewart Shares How ‘On The Road’ Helped Her Be Unabashedly Herself Kristen Stewart Talks ‘Hard Love’ In Toronto For On The Road Kristen Stewart Tells Toronto Her Character’s Ability To ‘Love So Openly’ Was Difficult, Nude Scenes Not So Much Follow Movieline on Twitter . Follow Grace Randolph on Twitter .
Hugh Jackman is known for his love of a good musical as much as he’s known for his portrayal of the adamantium-reinforced wise-ass Wolverine . So, it’s no surprise that he used a bit of the latter character’s blunt persuasiveness to land the part of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables . At a press conference for the hotly anticipated musical at Claridge’s on Wednesday, Jackman recalled that upon hearing from his agent that a film adaptation of the vaunted musical was in the works, he began to lobby for the part. Director Tom Hooper had barely had the chance to unpack his best director Oscar from The King’s Speech , let alone formally announce his next project, when Jackman called to arrange a meeting. Upon meeting Hooper, Jackman didn’t mince words. The straight-talking Aussie told the British filmmaker: “Mate, I’m going to audition for you,” and persisted with both Hooper and Les Misérables ’ legendary theater producer, Sir Cameron MacKintosh until the deal was sealed. “I’ve dreamt of being in a movie musical for a long time. For some reason I never even thought Les Mis would be possible,” Jackman said. “It was so iconic, the role wasn’t even on my radar.” Once cast, Jackman said that Hooper issued a clear directive to him about his coming portrayal of Valjean: “I want you unrecognizable. If you’re recognizable, I want your friends to think you’re sick,” the director told him. Upon which Jackman lost around 15 kilos (33lb) — more weight than Anne Hathaway shed for her role of Fantine, as the actress pointed out following a New York screening in November — to shoot the movie’s opening scenes as an emaciated prisoner. Jackman later gorged to regain the weight for following scenes, gleefully stating, “That bit was fun by the way!” Jackman insisted that Les Misérables has been the most physically demanding role he has ever tackled. It seems giving Eddie Redmayne a fireman’s lift while wading through the movie equivalent of chin-high sewage (in reality, watery peat), remains a prominent struggle in the then rehabilitated-man-mountain’s mind, “It was very, very cold, and Eddie, a very trim guy, is not a light as he looks, let me tell you! I constantly wanted to call for a double.” Alas, Jackman said, Hooper wasn’t up for that. As a regular performer on the musical scene, the physical requirements of the role were no surprise to Jackman, “It’s weird coming from me, who’s played Wolverine, or has been in other action movies, you’d probably think, ‘at least a musical is going to be easy.’ But anyone who’s done a musical knows; whether you’re dancing or not, physically it’s the most difficult thing you can do. “Singing is incredibly physical. All of those things combined, as well as emotionally and vocally, it’s the most challenging thing, and usually all at once. It’s the kind of thing you want as an actor. You want to feel challenged. It’s good to feel uncomfortable. “I’m really grateful, that’s the overwhelming feeling.” A head-strong actor with a passion for both musical and action genres — does anyone see a hybrid movie on the horizon, The Sound of Mutants perhaps? Les Misérables opens in U.S. theaters on December 25. MORE ON LES MIS: Variety Review: Hathaway’s A Dream But ‘Les Misérables’ Doesn’t Sing Jackman, Hathaway & Co-Stars Are Masters Of The House At ‘Les Misérables’ Premiere Early Reaction: Oscar Race Heats Up As NYC Screening Of ‘Les Miserables’ Prompts Cheers & Tears Follow Movieline on Twitter.
It’s no secret that indie filmmakers can often feel like Bob Cratchit, begging for just a little bit of coal from Scroogy Hollywood so they can keep their creative fire burning. But the multi-platform release, initially frowned upon, has become a boon for indie filmmakers. We’ve already seen Arbitrage with Richard Gere and Lay the Favorite with Bruce Willis hit VOD services at the same time they hit movie theaters, and now Edward Burns’ The Fitzgerald Family Christmas is doing the same. And because of that, Burns tells me his films are turning a profit for the first time since She’s The One . Check out my full interview with actor and filmmaker below, as well as the film’s website to find out if it’s playing at a theater near you when it goes into limited release this Friday, Dec. 7. If not, you can catch it on iTunes, Amazon, or VOD. Follow Movieline on Twitter . Follow Grace Randolph on Twitter .
The Twilight film franchise may have worked its way through Stephenie Meyer’s books, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s over. Just watch my red-carpet interview with Elizabeth Reaser at Thursday night’s New York premiere of Breaking Dawn — Part 2 . The actress, who plays Esme Cullen, suggests that there may be more life in store for this undead saga. Other stars of the blockbuster franchise get misty over the final film and how awesome their fans are. They also share their thoughts on the movie’s surprise ending, which is different from Meyer’s book. Watch my red carpet interviews below to find out! The premiere, which was hosted by The Cinema Society and Samsung Galaxy, drew cast members Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Dakota Fanning, Peter Facinelli, Maggie Grace and Mackenzie Foy as well as Howard Stern and his wife Beth, Jennifer Esposito and Tony Danza and Diane Neal. After the screening at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, guests partied at a new appropriately named night spot on the Bowery, Finale. Follow Movieline on Twitter . Follow Grace Randolph on Twitter .
Hermione who? Emma Watson has cast off her Hogwarts uniform and good girl image to play the broken Sam in Stephen Chbosky’s adaptation of his own novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower . Last night The Cinema Society, along with Lancome and Nylon, hosted a special screening of the teen flick at the hip Crosby Street Hotel in Soho – just the kind of event the quirky characters in the film would have loved to attend! But their alter egos were there, as Watson was joined by co-stars Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller. Not only are their performances in the film impressive, but also the respect they have for Chbosky’s novel and the intense issues it addresses. Plus, you have just got to hear Miller’s history with The Rocky Horror Picture show! It’s all in the video below – check it out! Follow Movieline on Twitter . Follow Grace on Twitter .
May-December romances “can be creepy” says Richard Jenkins , who’s part of the cast of Josh Radnor’s Liberal Arts , a movie about what might more appropriately might be termed a May-October romance on a college campus. In this particular case, Jenkins adds, “it isn’t.” The carefully groomed Radnor, who you may recognize from the TV sitcom How I Met Your Mother plays a guy in his 30s who goes back to his alma mater — the movie is set at Kenyon College in Ohio which Radnor actually attended — for a professor’s retirement party and ends up falling for a much younger student there played by Elizabeth Olsen . Movieline pal Grace Randolph talked to Radnor, Olsen and the always excellent Jensen about the fundamental of love at the Quintessentially-sponsored New York premiere of the film on Monday. Check out her report below. After the screening, premiere goers headed to Sons of Essex on the Lower East Side of Manhattan to engage in some college style drinking. Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Twi-hards — and the media — have certainly been paying more attention to David Cronenberg since the filmmaker cast Robert Pattinson in his latest, Cosmopolis , but they shouldn’t expect him to reciprocate. Movieline pal Grace Randolph caught The Fly director and his star on the red carpet at the New York premiere of Cosmopolis , where Cronenberg shrugged off the impact of Pattinson’s reported break-up with his Twilight star Kristen Stewart . “Honestly, that doesn’t touch me, and it doesn’t touch the movie,” said Cronenberg. “It’s really irrelevant. Not to [Rob] obviously, but to me and the movie. It doesn’t change the movie at all,” Cronenberg added. “That’s all media stuff.” The media was in full frenzy at the Peggy Siegal Company and Gucci-hosted premiere, which took place at the Museum of Modern Art in Midtown Manhattan, and Pattinson was their number-one target. Despite the crush, RPatz seemed to be enjoying the attention, and at one point was caught on Randolph’s camera saying: “The only thing I can be scared of is being bad.” Let’s see what the reviews say. Check out Grace’s interviews below. Watch It on YouTube. Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
