While the weather forecast for much of the East Coast looks like a storyboard from Day After Tomorrow thanks to Hurricane Irene, the box office forecast is decidedly more calm. As summer continues to crawl toward Labor Day, three genre films hit theaters, all with the diminished expectations that come with their late August release dates. What movie will you probably ignore this weekend? To the forecast!
Hunter S. Thompson fans have been patiently waiting over a decade for The Rum Diary to reach the big screen. (In fact, the adaptation process, which began in 2000, was so frustrating that the author himself coined the phrase “waterhead fuckaround” to describe the slow studio proceedings.) But The Rum Diary is finally in the can with a fall release date thanks to English writer and director Bruce Robinson, Thompson’s long-time friend Johnny Depp and Depp’s production company Infinitum Nihil. Let’s take a look at the trailer!
Following the recent success of Midnight in Paris and the filming of Bop Decameron in Rome, Woody Allen is apparently planning to set his next film in Germany . Exciting! And maybe a little predictable, but I’m enjoying the minor Zelig flashback this news conjures. Do you have visions for locales in the next leg of Allen’s film career? There’s one hope I refuse to let go…
Sure, we’ve already gotten a sneak peak of what Bradley Cooper could look like as the devil in Paradise Lost , but that doesn’t mean Legendary Pictures is done casting their adaptation of the John Milton novel. Just today, Oscar-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou joined the Alex Proyas-directed production as Abdiel, the angel of death. If Paradise Lost still needs an archangel of divine street fights, may we suggest Ryan Gosling ? [ Variety ]
Sure, we’ve already gotten a sneak peak of what Bradley Cooper could look like as the devil in Paradise Lost , but that doesn’t mean Legendary Pictures is done casting their adaptation of the John Milton novel. Just today, Oscar-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou joined the Alex Proyas-directed production as Abdiel, the angel of death. If Paradise Lost still needs an archangel of divine street fights, may we suggest Ryan Gosling ? [ Variety ]
This just in from Deadline: Dimension Films, who has the rights to David Cronenberg’s 1981 telepath sci-fi horror pic Scanners , is adapting the genre film not into further sequels or remakes but into a television series. French horror director Alexandre Aja ( High Tension , The Hills Have Eyes , Piranha 3D ) will exec produce the drama and may direct the pilot. [ Deadline ]
Screenwriting duo Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely began their partnership in college, moved to Los Angeles together (“We watched Baywatch and thought, ‘ Somebody wrote Baywatch — we could do that!'” quips McFeely), wrote a film for Bill Pullman, scripted The Life and Death of Peter Sellers , and caught the eye of Andrew Adamson, who then hired them to write all three Chronicles of Narnia films. Now they’ve penned Captain America: The First Avenger , the latest in Marvel Studios’ multi-film Avengers franchise and a rollicking WWII -set adventure that they hope to follow up with a sequel. It’s safe to say Markus and McFeely might have some wise words to share on the subject of their craft.
‘Everything’s in snow, but the costumes are very colorful,’ he tells MTV News. By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Lily Collins Photo: John Shearer/ WireImage Two cinematic reimaginings of Snow White are currently in the works, but lest you think both are going to turn out more or less the same, simply listen to how director Tarsem Singh conceives of his film’s look . “It’s actually like if you looked at Gaudi’s architecture, based in England, done like a turn-of-the-century Russian film by an Indian guy,” he told MTV News. Right. We’re guessing that the competing Snow White tale — from Rupert Sanders, making his directorial debut after a string of hyper-stylized TV commercials — isn’t going to encroach on Tarsem’s territory, and that’s just the way he wants it. “There’s a brown guy telling you a Snow White tale to white people. Just by definition, when you put different ingredients, you get a different stew,” he said. His yet-untitled film stars Julia Roberts as the evil queen, Armie Hammer (“The Social Network”) as the handsome prince and, after being cast earlier this month, Lily Collins (“The Blind Side”) as Snow White herself. Why Collins, a relative unknown whose profile is on the rise after being cast in the adaptation of the “Mortal Instruments” young adult book series? “Her eyebrows,” Tarsem joked. “I just saw her eyebrows and I said, ‘That’s Snow White.’ ” With the key players in place, the filmmakers are busy building sets and designing costumes. True to Tarsem’s earlier work, like “The Cell” and the forthcoming “Immortals,” the new Snow White film will dress its cast in some eye-popping garb. “Everything’s in snow, but the costumes are very colorful. It’s like no color, then a lot of color,” Tarsem said. “I never know how actors give you all the trust, because the stuff that I make people wear does not look ridiculous — it looks ridiculous. ” Check out everything we’ve got on “Snow White.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com .
‘My fans have made me a trending topic every day,’ Bieber marvels to MTV News in April 2010. By Jocelyn Vena Justin Bieber in 2009 Photo: Michael Loccisano/ Getty Images In April 2010, Justin Bieber sat down with MTV News to dish about his devoted fanbase. His Beliebers, at the time, were keeping him at the top of the Twitter trends daily. Those fans were the ones who believed in him before he became the megastar he is today. When he sat down with us all those months ago, Bieber seemed grateful for their love and support. “They make me a trending topic on Twitter every day,” Bieber marveled. “It’s pretty incredible. My fans have made me a trending topic every day. I don’t think there’s been a day in the past month that I haven’t. So it’s pretty incredible.” The singer — who is still one of the most devout celeb users of the social-networking site — said he loved using the site to stay connected to his fans. “I love Twitter,” Bieber said. “I use it for being able to interact with my fans as well as promote stuff.” To this day, Bieber frequently tweets and retweets messages for his fans, noting that there’s no science as to who he picks. “It just depends. It’s kind of, like, it’s random,” he said. “It’s not really anyone specifically. It’s just kind of a random thing. “They’re like, ‘I never thought you were gonna respond!’ ” he added. “And I say, ‘You thought wrong.’ ” On Friday, Justin Bieber’s 3-D documentary, “Never Say Never,” opens. The film takes a look at how the teen star worked to hit it big. MTV News has been chatting with him along the way, from the time he first burst on the scene in 2009 until now, as he embarks on a huge 2011 that will include a tour and more new music. For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Justin Bieber MTV News Extended Play: Justin Bieber Related Artists Justin Bieber
Actress will star opposite Logan Lerman in her first post-‘Harry Potter’ leading role. By Terri Schwartz Emma Watson It’s been nine months since Variety first announced that Emma Watson might be starring in the upcoming adaptation of Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” and now Watson’s first post-“Harry Potter” leading role has been confirmed. Both she and Logan Lerman will headline the adaptation that Summit Entertainment recently picked up . Watson confirmed the casting on her Facebook page , saying, “Hi everyone, I just wanted to let you know that the rumours are true – I’m going to be playing Sam in ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ opposite Logan Lerman. Love Em xx.” Chbosky will both write and direct the film, with John Malkovich executive-producing it. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” follows 15-year-old wallflower Charlie (Lerman) who writes a series of letters to an unknown person about his life, including his love for a girl named Sam (Watson), the suicide of his best friend and his struggle to find a group of friends in which he belongs. It is considered to be one of the best interpretations of adolescence in the 1990s out there. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” isn’t the only film on Watson’s slate. She’s filmed a small but important role in the upcoming Michelle Williams-starring film “My Week With Marilyn” and is also a top contender to star opposite Taylor Lautner in the adaptation of the young-adult novel “Incarceron.” There’s also the last “Harry Potter” film, “Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” which is scheduled to hit theaters July 15. For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Photos The Evolution Of: Emma Watson
