As protesters in Pakistan, Indonesia and Afghanistan raged against the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims over the weekend, the media was also awash with photos and video of the Egyptian immigrant first tied to the crude inflammatory video, Nakoula Basseley , as he was escorted from his Southern California home looking like the Elephant Man so that he could be questioned by police. (See the video after the jump.) Basseley, who was first identified as Sam Bacile — a pseudonym that calls to mind the word “imbecile,” — covered his face with a white scarf and wore a newsboy’s cap on his head to protect his identity. His appearance didn’t remain hidden for long, however. Both the New York Daily News and the New York Post have run a picture of Basseley, sans disguise, sitting with one of the actors in Innocence of Muslims , Anna Gurji, who has been talking to a number of media outlets, and wrote a letter to the horror/fantasy writer Neil Gaiman about how she and her fellow cast members were duped by Basseley. (Gurji also notes in her letter to Gaiman, which he posted on his website, that The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood helmsman Alan Roberts (a.k.a. Robert Brownell) was the director of Innocence of Muslims.) Basseley, who’s reportedly a 55-year-old Coptic Christian who immigrated from Egypt, does not have the face of a man who sparked a wave of violence that led to the deaths of U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens and three other American diplomatic staffers. What’s that they say about the banality of evil? Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Peter Jackson took to the interwebs to usher in Tolkien Week – currently underway, natch – announcing a new trailer for December’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey that will drop Wednesday the 19th. (Mark your calendars, wizards!) And for good measure, USA Today debuted a new batch of exclusive Hobbit pics for your viewing pleasure. Gollum is ready for his close-up. Click right here or on Gandalf’s wise old mug for over a dozen images from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , in theaters (and 3-D and IMAX) on December 14. [ USA Today ]
I have to apologize. I thought Adrianne Curry was only a professional Twitter model, but it turns out she’s also a professional magazine signer. Here she is dressed up as Dark Lily at the Comikaze Expo in LA and I can’t believe there are nerds who’d actually pay to have her autograph. You’d that they would be smarter than that, but I guess not. You know, I’m actually friends with Wonder Woman. That’s right,the “real” Wonder Woman and if you guys send me $20 to my PayPal account, I can get her to give you a call. Did I mention, she talks dirty? Email me for more info.
Victoria Justice attended the 2012 Creative Arts Emmy Awards the other night proving that she is the hottest young piece in Hollywood. Trust me when I tell you that we’re looking at a future Academy Award winner right here. To be honest, I’ve never seen her act, but she plays the part of a very hot chick better than anyone out there.
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 .
Also in Thursday evening’s round-up of news briefs, the Academy names a director for the 85th Oscars telecast. And a slew of Venice and Toronto titles find homes, leading them to U.S. theaters in the coming months. Don Mischer to Direct 85th Oscar Telecast Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said Don Mischer will direct the 85th Academy Awards telecast, marking the “continuation of [his] multi-faceted relationship with the Academy, which includes pro ducting the Oscars red carpet pre-show and producing the annual Governor’s Ball.” Richard Gere to Receive Hamptons International Film Festival Honors Aactor Richard Gere will attend the 20th anniversary HIFF to receive The Golden Starfish Award for Lifetime Achievement in Acting on October 6th. The award will be presented during the festival’s “Conversation With Richard Gere”, a discussion with Mr. Gere about his life and career, moderated by the festival’s Honorary Chairman, Alec Baldwin. The 20th Hamptons International Film Festival takes place October 4th – 8th in Long Island, NY’s East End. Fandango Eyes Advanced Ticket Sales for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 The final installment of the Twilight behemoth will first go on sale October 1st at Midnight ET, more than six weeks before the movie’s November 16th release, the online ticketed said. Deadline also reports that MovieTickets.com is offering the advanced tickets on its site too . Advance tickets for the November 15 Twilight Marathon – where all five films of The Twilight Saga will be shown in order at select theaters – will also go on sale on October 1st. And, as part of a special sweepstakes on Fandango, two fans will also have the chance to win a trip to the world premiere of Breaking Dawn, Part 2 in Los Angeles. Visit their site for more details. Venice and Toronto’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist Heads to U.S. Theaters IFC Films picked up North American rights to the film, directed by Mira Nair, which opened the recent Venice Film Festival and screened last week at the Toronto International Film Festival. Starring Liev Schreiber, Kate Hudson, Kiefer Sutherland, and Riz Ahmed, the film tells the story of a young Pakistani man (Ahmed) whose pursuit of corporate success on Wall Street leads him on a strange path back to the world he had left behind. The deal for the film was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions & Productions for Sundance Selects/IFC Films and Hal Sadoff for DFI and Bart Walker of Cinetic Media on behalf of the filmmakers. Toronto’s No Place On Earth Heads to U.S. Theaters Magnolia Pictures picked up U.S. theatrical rights to the emotional directorial debut of Janet Tobias’ Toronto documentary No Place On Earth . The film, which recently had its world premiere in Toronto, tells the little-known story of thirty-eight Ukrainian Jews who survived World War II by living in caves for eighteen months, the longest-recorded sustained underground survival. Built upon interviews with former cave inhabitants, as well as Chris Nicola, the caving enthusiast who unearthed the story. negotiated by Josh Braun and David Koh at Submarine with Dori Begley, Magnolia’s Senior Vice President of Acquisitions. Magnolia will release No Place On Earth theatrically in 2013. While We Were Here Heads to U.S. Theaters The 2012 Tribeca Film Festival premiere is set on the isle of Ischia off the Amalfi Coast in Italy. The film follows a young American writer named Jane (Bosworth) who finds herself at a personal and professional crossroadswhen she accompanies her husband Leonard (Goldberg) on a business trip. While escaping the mundanity of her comfortable marriage by delving deeper into adapting her grandmother’s WWII stories into a memoir she stumbles into a romantic affair with a younger man (Blackley) who complicates her life even further. L.A.-based distributor Wrekin Hill release the film in the U.S., which stars Kate Bosworth, Jamie Blackley and Iddo Goldberg. How To Make Money Selling Drugs Heads to U.S. Theaters The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival Friday. Directed by Matthew Cooke, the provocative documentary offers an in-depth look at the high-stakes world of drug dealing and drug enforcement by blending authentic reportage with pop culture references. Tribeca Film, the distribution component of the group that oversees the Tribeca Film Festival, plans a 2013 theatrical release as well as Video On Demand platforms.
Also in Wednesday morning’s round-up of news briefs, American would-be filmmaker whose anti-Islam film sparked violence in Egypt and Libya reacts. And more Toronto titles head to theaters. Channing Tatum May Direct Magic Mike 2 Steven Soderbergh is on a bit of a filmmaking hiatus – he says for the moment (he’s now wrapped on what could be his final film, Behind the Candelabra ), which means there is a need for a Mike director, and Channing Tatum told German site Filmstarts (via AlloCine) that he could direct the film himself, possibly with screenwriter and producing partner Reid Carolin, The Playlist reports . Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing Heads to Theaters The Avengers ‘ director’s Toronto International Film Festival debut now has a home. Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate will team on Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing . The black-and-white movie features friends and actors he’s worked with over the years — including many Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly alums – starring in the adaptation of the Shakespearean play, THR reports . Anti-Islam Filmmaker In Hiding After Egyptian/Libyan Violence Writer/director Sam Bacile remained defiant after a YouTube trailer of his movie attacking the Prophet Muhammad sparked violence in the neighboring African countries, which resulted in the deaths of three American staff members in Libya including the US. Ambassador. Speaking by phone, Bacile said “Islam is a cancer” and that the 56-year-old intended his film to be a provocative political statement condemning the religion, A.P. reports . Norwegian Thriller Thale Heads to U.S. Theaters The Toronto International Film Festival’s Norwegian supernatural thriller Thale will open in U.S. theaters early next year via XLrator Media which picked up Stateside rights at the festival. Thale “tells the story of a mythical “huldra,” a beautiful, tailed female forest creature, who is discovered in a concealed cellar by two crime scene cleaners. The creature is unable to speak so she can’t explain how she came to be there, but the pieces of the puzzle soon come together,” Deadline reports . What Maisie Knew Headed to N. America Starring Alexander Skarsgard, Julianne Moore and Steve Coogan, the film revolves around the 7-year old title character, played by Onata Aprile. She is caught in a custody battle between her aging mother rock star and her art dealer father. Millennium Entertainment is closing a deal for the title for North American rights. It is playing in Toronto, Deadline reports .
Kathy Bates, an Oscar winner for the 1991 film Misery and multiple-time Emmy nominee, revealed today that she was diagnosed with breast cancer a few weeks ago and recently underwent a double mastectomy in her battle against the disease. “Luckily, I don’t have to undergo radiation or chemo,” Bates said in a statement. “My family call me Kat because I always land on my feet and thankfully this is no exception… My doctors have assured me I’m going to be around for a long time. I’m looking forward to getting back to work doing what I love to do.” Bates was also diagnosed with ovarian cancer nine years ago. She has a busy professional future ahead of her, beginning on September 23 Emmy Awards where the veteran star is actually nominated in two categories: Outstanding actress in a drama ( Harry’s Law ) and outstanding guest actress in a comedy ( Two and a Half Men ). We wish her a full recovery.
Meet Giuliana and Bill Rancic’s baby boy ! Spoiler alert: He’s cute!! Two weeks after becoming a family of three, the proud parents are revealing the very first photos of their new addition, son Edward Duke Rancic, in Life & Style. The regally named son arrived via gestational carrier – he’s their biological child, but a surrogate handled the pregnancy aspect – in Denver on August 29. Giuliana and Bill Rancic say they are “blessed beyond words.” “[He’s] got Giuliana’s dimples!” says Bill, who married Giuliana five years ago. “It’s amazing how maternal instincts have taken over, and G’s just supermom.” The happy mom, meanwhile, reveals what inspired their son’s name. “Edward is both Bill’s late dad’s name and my dad’s name,” Giuliana explains. “It was a way to honor them.” As for the middle name, “Duke means leader.” Giuliana is taking some time off from E! duties, but will be back on the air hosting the network’s Emmy Awards red carpet special on Sept. 23. She Tweets: “Coming back to E! for one night then back to changing diapers :)”
Also in Tuesday morning’s round-up of news briefs, the European Film Awards named 47 films to be considered for nomination for its December 1 ceremony. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sarah Polley ‘s latest Toronto title is headed to theaters. IFC Films picks up a thriller. And Kristen Wiig and Annette Bening ‘s comedy is also en route to a theater near you. European Film Awards Name 47 Films Including Toronto/Cannes Titles on Nominations List Cannes winner Amour , Rust and Bone and Ken Loach’s The Angel’s Share made the list of films that are on the list for European Film Awards nominations. 31 European countries have films along the 47. In the coming weeks, the 2,700 members of the European Film Academy will vote for the nominations in the different award categories. The nominations will then be announced on 3 November at the Seville European Film Festival in Spain. The 25th European Film Awards with the presentation of the winners – streamed live on www.europeanfilmawards.eu – will take place in Malta on 1 December. Toronto’s Stories We Tell Heads to Theaters Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell has been picked up by Roadside Attractions and plans an early 2013 release. In the doc, she assembles a montage of home movies, interviews, and narration to examine the repercussions of long-held family secrets that come to light. Breaking the Girls Heads to U.S. Theaters The Jamie Babbit thriller will have a limited theatrical release in the U.S. Starring Madeline Zima ( Californication and Agnes Bruckner ( Blood and Chocoate , the film is the story of a university student who, when slandered by a hostile classmate, is befriended by the manipulative Alex (Zima) who proposes the perfect, untraceable crime – to kill each other’s archenemies. When Alex actually goes through with it, Sara finds herself being framed for murder. Around the ‘net… Peter Facinelli Eyes Supernatural Horror Gallows Hill The Twilight saga star is set to join the cast in Gallows Hill , directed by Victor Garcia. The story follows an American (Facinelli), “widowed from his Colombia-born wife, who flies to Bogota with his new fiancée (Myles) to retrieve his rebellious teenage daughter Jill (Ramos). After a car accident leaves them stranded in a rundown isolated inn, they discover the old innkeeper has locked a young girl in the basement and their decision to set her free has unintended consequences,” THR reports . Imogene Heads to Theaters The dysfunctional comedy starring Kristen Wiig and Annette Bening has been picked up by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions in Toronto. In the film directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, Wiig plays a playwright who stages a fake suicide attempt in reaction to losing her job, getting evicted and getting dumped by her boyfriend, Deadline reports .
