Let the Games continue! EW has your first look at the Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire , with a peek at Jennifer Lawrence ‘s Katniss and cast newcomer Sam Claflin as returning Games victor Finnick Odair. Katniss and her baker boyfriend Peeta are back in Catching Fire , based on Suzanne Collins’s second Hunger Games book, but things haven’t exactly settled down; with revolution sparking in the Districts, the duo are sent back on the Games circuit and thrust into a new, even more dangerous competition. In the next ten months you’re going to see a lot of Claflin ( Pirates of the Caribbean , Snow White and the Huntsman ), the British up-and-comer who plays charismatic Finnick, a previous Games winner known for his seductive charm… who also has a notable scene in which he’s clad only in a fishing net. Ahem. Joining Claflin in the Francis Lawrence -directed sequel are new castmates Jena Malone as Johanna Mason, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee, Amanda Plummer as Wiress, and Jeffrey Wright as Beetee. For now, enjoy this first image of Finnick cozying up to Katniss in what might be the knot-tying scene. To borrow from the master R. Kelly: Peeta, don’t bring your girl around Finnick because he’s a flirt (with a trident). Catching Fire hits theaters November 21. Synopsis: THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Let the Games continue! EW has your first look at the Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire , with a peek at Jennifer Lawrence ‘s Katniss and cast newcomer Sam Claflin as returning Games victor Finnick Odair. Katniss and her baker boyfriend Peeta are back in Catching Fire , based on Suzanne Collins’s second Hunger Games book, but things haven’t exactly settled down; with revolution sparking in the Districts, the duo are sent back on the Games circuit and thrust into a new, even more dangerous competition. In the next ten months you’re going to see a lot of Claflin ( Pirates of the Caribbean , Snow White and the Huntsman ), the British up-and-comer who plays charismatic Finnick, a previous Games winner known for his seductive charm… who also has a notable scene in which he’s clad only in a fishing net. Ahem. Joining Claflin in the Francis Lawrence -directed sequel are new castmates Jena Malone as Johanna Mason, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee, Amanda Plummer as Wiress, and Jeffrey Wright as Beetee. For now, enjoy this first image of Finnick cozying up to Katniss in what might be the knot-tying scene. To borrow from the master R. Kelly: Peeta, don’t bring your girl around Finnick because he’s a flirt (with a trident). Catching Fire hits theaters November 21. Synopsis: THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Movieline would like to welcome Pete Hammond to the pages of this site with a new column that we’re calling Hammond on Film. If you love movies, then you’re probably familiar with Pete’s byline. He’s the Awards columnist for our sister site, Deadline Hollywood, as well as a veteran movie critic who has written more than 600 reviews for the best-selling Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide and, most recently, was the film critic for Boxoffice Magazine and Boxoffice.com. He has also reviewed features for CNN. For his first column, Pete takes a close look at Judd Apatow ‘s This Is 40 , which opens Dec. 21. ‘This is 40’: The Sort-of-Sequel to ‘Knocked Up’ Revisiting the married supporting characters Pete and Debbie of his 2007 comedy hit, Knocked Up , writer/director Judd Apatow has crafted his most personal and affecting film to date. In some respects, This Is 40 is an Apatow home movie with Paul Rudd , returning as Pete, subbing for the director. Real-life wife Leslie Mann and daughters Iris and Maude Apatow taking on the same roles here, and it isn’t a stretch to think we’re watching the filmmaker’s life unfold onscreen. Smart, funny and truthful in too many ways to count, Apatow, who’s actually 45, picks up the story of Pete and Debbie’s marriage five years after we first met them. Both are facing 40th birthdays — although Debbie is fudging the truth — and Apatow uses this conceit to build an episodic look at their marital and familial ups and downs over the course of a month. This Is 40 is the most sharply observed and cutting edge of all four Apatow-directed efforts to date, and I suspect that’s because he’s really writing what he knows here. Yes, there is still plenty of Apatow’s trademark raunch, including an opening shower sex scene in which Pete reveals he has taken Viagra, much to Debbie’s chagrin. There’s also a self-inflicted prostate exam and a wild weekend in a hotel room, but these scenes add up to more than just a collection of outlandish comic moments: This is 40 is such an honest, piercing look at middle-aged marriage that it recalls Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes From A Marriage in unexpected ways. Comparing the commercially successful Apatow to the critically revered Bergman is not something I’d ever thought possible but it is to the credit of a wise , if overlong , screenplay that his film enters that arena. Rather than heavy plotting we meet the family: There’s the overbearing older daughter Sadie, who’s embarrassed by her parents and married to everything wired , and her sweet younger sister Charlotte. There’s also Pete’s needy father ( Albert Brooks ) ,who is dependent on his son for money infusions, as well as Debbie’s aloof dad (John Lithgow), who reluctantly attends a family party that turns extremely awkward in terms of his attempts to renew his relationship with his daughter. Debbie also has a know-it-all trainer ( Jason Segel ) and co-workers in her clothing store business ( Megan Fox , Charlyne Yi) that she suspects of stealing from the cash register. From Pete’s fledgling business — he’s the owner of an indie record label that specializes in reviving moribund musical artists (like the proto-punk god Graham Parker, who plays himself) — we meet his associates. Chief among them is Ronnie, who’s nicely played by Chris O’Dowd ( Bridesmaids ). There’s also a very funny, if over-the-top encounter with a mother at the kids’ school that Melissa McCarthy plays to the hilt with her combustible comic style. But at the heart of This Is 40 is Pete and Debbie’s struggle to keep alive the family unit and the spark in a marriage that’s faded a bit. It’s this very relatable pair that makes the movie work so well. Just as Apatow does with his pungent script , Mann and Rudd manage to hit the exact right tone, walking a narrow line between comedy and drama and nailing it. Special kudos go to Mann, in her first genuine leading role, who has never been this appealing or real.She proves she not only has great comic instincts but real dramatic chops. Yes, these are scenes from the marriage of an upper, upper middle-class Brentwood family, but anyone in the delicate game of ongoing relationships should find plenty amusing, revealing and familiar in this movie. Apatow and family have provided a comedy for adults that is welcome relief this holiday season. Related: Review: Apatow Grows Up, Takes A Step Back With Messy ‘This Is 40’ Follow Pete Hammond on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
After several hours during which it was assumed to be a very competent fake, Warner Bros . has confirmed that the autographed photo originally posted this morning on Ain’t It Cool News is indeed our first glimpse of Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky in Mad Max: Fury Road . The photo, part of a signed set given to the crew by Hardy on the last day of filming — Fury Road wrapped on Monday — reveals little about the movie, aside from the slightly more modern look of Hardy’s take on the character, and the fact that Hardy is extremely handsome even when you factor for the post-apocalyptic wastes of Australia. Gone is Max’s trademark police-issue black leather jacket with a single oversized spaulder on the right shoulder. In its place is what appears to be a rough-cut leather jacket with a more contemporary military look. Obviously, it should be assumed that years have passed since we last saw Max and that he’s long since run out of black polish, but it gives Max a subtle update that suggests the apocalypse happened more recently than the later years of the cold war. It’s unwise to make predictions based on a single image, but to my eyes the most interesting thing about the picture is that you can kind of see a hint of the original plan for Mad Max 4. First conceived as an animated 3D film to be co-written and co-designed by cartoonist Brendan McCarthy, who’s known for his long run on Judge Dredd in the anthology comic 2000AD , Max’s uniform as seen here is definitely reminiscent of the kind of post-civilized militarism you see dripping from the pages of that book. As McCarthy is still credited as cowriter of the live-action Fury Road s cript, I look forward to seeing how much of his aesthetic vision made it into the finished film. Considering Fury Road is packed with Characters like Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa and Nathan Jones’ Rictus Erectus, my guess is ‘a lot. [ Ain’t It Cool News ] Follow Ross Lincoln on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
I’m not saying all dystopian kid-warrior movies set in the future are going to be shamelessly crib from their successful predecessors (especially those adapted from exceptionally popular, award-winning, decades-old tomes), but something feels and looks really familiar in the first official photo from 2013’s Ender’s Game , based on Orson Scott Card’s Hugo Award-winning sci-fi novel. In the first look, which debuted over at EW along with a preview chat with director Gavin Hood ( Tsotsi , Wolverine ), Asa Butterfield stars as Ender, a young Battle School recruit being trained to fight an interstellar war, gets a stern glare from Harrison Ford ‘s Colonel Graff. In the cash-littered wake of The Hunger Games , the first few looks at Ender’s Game hit the futuristic teen sci-fi signposts: A muted blue palette, austere high-tech aesthetic, retro-fascism (meets, hmm — American Apparel ?) garb, kids playing games… TO THE DEATH. But hey, whatever works. Ender’s Game hits theaters November 1, 2013. [via EW ] Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Warner Bros. 2015 Justice League movie may not have a director yet, but it looks like it has a villain. Latino Review is reporting that Batman , Superman , Wonder Woman and their super colleagues will be throwing down against a major baddie, Darkseid from the subtly named planet, Apokolips, when the summer of 2015 rolls around. If Darkseid, who was created by the legendary comic artist Jack Kirby , is indeed the villain who will be wreaking havoc in the DC movie universe, it’s an interesting choice, given that Marvel plans to feature the villain Thanos in Avengers 2 , which it plans to release that same summer. Justice League ‘s Darkseid vs. Avengers 2 ‘s Thanos As Comic Book Legends Revealed points out, Thanos was “roughly based on Darkseid” (although the character’s creator Jim Starlin didn’t originally envision him as such.) The connection between the two characters could help ratchet up the competitive tension between the rival movies as release time grows closer. (It’s only, like, years away.) DC could also do some “our super-villain can kick your super-villain’s ass” sassing based on IGN’s Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time , in which Darkseid ranks sixth and Thanos is 47th. If you ask me, these two dudes do look alike. That’s Darkseid on the left. Thanos is on the right. What do you think? Sound off in the comments section. By the way, the unforgiving mug of the late actor Jack Palance inspired Darkseid’s face. Kirby based the villain’s evil nature on Adolf Hitler. [ Latino Review , Comic Book Legends Revealed , IGN] Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Films starring Guy Pearce, Nicole Kidman , Alexander Skarsgard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Ashton Kutcher , Demi Moore and Naomi Watts are some of the highlights from world premieres that make up the 2013 Sundance Film Festival ‘s Premieres section. Organizers revealed its selections Monday, which includes Gordon-Levitt’s feature directorial debut, Don Jon’s Addiction . The eighteen titles include the latest from veteran filmmakers Richard Linklater , Michael Polish, Zal Batmanglij, Michael Winterbottom, Jane Campion, Park Chan-wook and David Gordon Green. [ Related: Check out Sundance’s Midnight and Spotlight Premieres , Also U.S. and World Competition as well as Next lineups ] The event also announced 11 non-fiction features that will screen in its Documentary Premieres section, including new work from Oscar winners Alex Gibney and Barbara Kopple in addition to the directorial debut from Foo Fighters frontman, David Grohl ( Sound City ). In all, Sundance will include 115 feature-length films, with 101 screening as World Premieres. “We are pleased to see a number of returning filmmakers in our Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections, indicating that there is sustainability, longevity and personal reward to careers in independent film,” said Sundance Film Festival Director John Cooper in a statement. “The films announced today build on each filmmaker’s personal artistic legacy and contribute to the ever-growing and inspiring achievements of the independent film community.” The 2013 Sundance Film Festival, January 17-27 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. [ Related Interview: Sundance Director John Cooper Says ‘Fearlessness’ Distinguishes The Festival’s 2013 Slate ] Sundance Film Festival 2013 Premiere and Documentary Premiere with descriptions provided by the festival. PREMIERES A showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly anticipated dramatic films of the coming year. Presented by Entertainment Weekly. A.C.O.D. / U.S.A. (Director: Stuart Zicherman, Screenwriters: Ben Karlin, Stuart Zicherman) — Carter is a well-adjusted Adult Child of Divorce. So he thinks. When he discovers he was part of a divorce study as a child, it wreaks havoc on his family and forces him to face his chaotic past. Cast: Adam Scott, Richard Jenkins, Catherine O’Hara, Amy Poehler, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clark Duke. Before Midnight / U.S.A. (Director: Richard Linklater, Screenwriters: Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater— We meet Jesse and Celine nine years on in Greece. Almost two decades have passed since their first meeting on that train bound for Vienna. Before the clock strikes midnight, we will again become part of their story. Cast: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Xenia Kalogeropoulou, Ariane Labed, Athina Rachel Tsangari, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick. Big Sur / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Polish) — Unable to cope with a suddenly demanding public and battling advanced alcoholism, Jack Kerouac seeks respite in three brief sojourns to a cabin in Big Sur, which reveal his mental and physical deterioration. Cast: Jean-Marc Barr, Kate Bosworth, Josh Lucas, Radha Mitchell, Anthony Edwards, Henry Thomas. Breathe In / U.S.A. (Director: Drake Doremus, Screenwriters: Drake Doremus, Ben York Jones) — When a foreign exchange student arrives in a small upstate New York town, she challenges the dynamics of her host family’s relationships and alters their lives forever. Cast: Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones, Amy Ryan, Mackenzie Davis. Don Jon’s Addiction / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Joseph Gordon-Levitt) — In Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s charming directorial debut, a selfish modern-day Don Juan attempts to change his ways. Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Glenne Headly, Rob Brown. The East / U.S.A. (Director: Zal Batmanglij, Screenwriters: Zal Batmanglij, Brit Marling) — An operative for an elite private intelligence firm goes into deep cover to infiltrate a mysterious anarchist collective attacking major corporations. Bent on apprehending these fugitives, she finds her loyalty tested as her feelings grow for the group’s charismatic leader. Cast: Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård, Ellen Page, Toby Kebbell, Shiloh Fernandez, Patricia Clarkson. The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete / U.S.A. (Director: George Tillman Jr., Screenwriter: Michael Starrbury) — Separated from their mothers and facing a summer in the Brooklyn projects alone, two boys hide from police and forage for food, with only each other to trust. A story of salvation through friendship and two boys against the world. Cast: Skylan Brooks, Ethan Dizon, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, Anthony Mackie, Jeffrey Wright. jOBS / U.S.A. (Director: Joshua Michael Stern, Screenwriter: Matt Whiteley) — The true story of one of the greatest entrepreneurs in American history, jOBS chronicles the defining 30 years of Steve Jobs’ life. jOBS is a candid, inspiring and personal portrait of the one who saw things differently. Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad, Lukas Haas, J.K. Simmons, Matthew Modine. CLOSING NIGHT FILM The Look of Love / United Kingdom (Director: Michael Winterbottom, Screenwriter: Matt Greenhalgh) — The true story of British adult magazine publisher and entrepreneur Paul Raymond. A modern day King Midas story, Raymond became one of the richest men in Britain at the cost of losing those closest to him. Cast: Steve Coogan, Anna Friel, Imogen Poots, Tamsin Egerton. Lovelace / U.S.A. (Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman, Screenwriter: Andy Bellin) — Deep Throat, the first pornographic feature film to be a mainstream success, was an international sensation in 1972 and made its star, Linda Lovelace, a media darling. Years later the “poster girl for the sexual revolution” revealed a darker side to her story. Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, Hank Azaria, Adam Brody, James Franco, Sharon Stone. The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman / U.S.A. (Director: Fredrik Bond, Screenwriter: Matt Drake) — Traveling abroad, Charlie Countryman falls for Gabi, a Romanian beauty whose unreachable heart has its origins in Nigel, her violent, charismatic ex. As the darkness of Gabi’s past increasingly envelops him, Charlie resolves to win her heart, or die trying. Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Evan Rachel Wood, Mads Mikkelsen, Rupert Grint, James Buckley, Til Schweiger. Prince Avalanche / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Gordon Green) — Two highway road workers spend the summer of 1988 away from their city lives. The isolated landscape becomes a place of misadventure as the men find themselves at odds with each other and the women they left behind. Cast: Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch. Stoker / U.S.A. (Director: Park Chan-Wook, Screenwriter: Wentworth Miller) — After India’s father dies in an auto accident, her Uncle Charlie comes to live with her and her mother, Evelyn. Soon after his arrival, India suspects that this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives but becomes increasingly infatuated with him. Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Dermot Mulroney, Jacki Weaver, Nicole Kidman. Sweetwater / U.S.A. (Directors: Logan Miller, Noah Miller, Screenwriter: Andrew McKenzie) — In the late 1800s, a fanatical religious leader, a renegade Sheriff, and a former prostitute collide in a blood triangle on the rugged plains of the New Mexico Territory. Cast: Ed Harris, January Jones, Jason Isaacs, Eduardo Noriega, Steven Rude, Amy Madigan. Top of the Lake / Australia, New Zealand (Directors: Jane Campion, Garth Davis, Screenwriters: Jane Campion, Gerard Lee) — A 12-year-old girl stands chest deep in a frozen lake. She is five months pregnant, and won’t say who the father is. Then she disappears. So begins a haunting mystery that consumes a community. Cast: Elisabeth Moss, Holly Hunter, Peter Mullan, David Wenham. This six-hour film will screen once during the Festival. Two Mothers / Australia, France (Director: Anne Fontaine, Screenwriter: Christopher Hampton) — This gripping tale of love, lust and the power of friendship charts the unconventional and passionate affairs of two lifelong friends who fall in love with each other’s sons. Cast: Naomi Watts, Robin Wright, Xavier Samuel, James Frechevile. Very Good Girls / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Naomi Foner) — In the long, half-naked days of a New York summer, two girls on the brink of becoming women fall for the same guy and find that life isn’t as simple or safe as they had thought. Cast: Dakota Fanning, Elizabeth Olsen, Boyd Holbrook, Demi Moore, Richard Dreyfuss, Ellen Barkin. The Way, Way Back / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash) — Duncan, an introverted 14-year-old, comes into his own over the course of a comedic summer when he forms unlikely friendships with the gregarious manager of a rundown water park and the misfits who work there. Cast: Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Liam James. DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES Renowned filmmakers and films about huge subjects comprise this section highlighting our ongoing commitment to documentaries. Each is a world premiere. ANITA / U.S.A. (Director: Freida Mock) — Anita Hill, an African-American woman, charges Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas with sexual harassment in explosive Senate hearings in 1991 – bringing sexual politics into the national consciousness and fueling 20 years of international debate on the issues. The Crash Reel / U.S.A. (Director: Lucy Walker) — The jaw-dropping story of one unforgettable athlete, Kevin Pearce; one eye-popping sport, snow boarding; and one explosive issue, traumatic brain injury. An epic rivalry between Kevin and Shaun White culminates in a life-changing crash and a comeback story with a difference. SALT LAKE CITY GALA FILM History of the Eagles / U.S.A. (Director: Alison Ellwood) — Using never-before-seen home movies, archival footage and new interviews with all current and former members of the Eagles, this documentary provides an intimate look into the history of the band and the legacy of their music. Linsanity / U.S.A. (Director: Evan Leong) — Jeremy Lin came from a humble background to make an unbelievable run in the NBA. State high school champion, all-Ivy League at Harvard, undrafted by the NBA and unwanted there: his story started long before he landed on Broadway. Pandora’s Promise / U.S.A. (Director: Robert Stone) — A growing number of environmentalists are renouncing decades of antinuclear orthodoxy and have come to believe that the most feared and controversial technology known to mankind is probably our greatest hope. Running from Crazy / U.S.A. (Director: Barbara Kopple) — Mariel Hemingway, granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, strives for a greater understanding of her family history of suicide and mental illness. As tragedies are explored and deeply hidden secrets are revealed, Mariel searches for a way to overcome a similar fate. Sound City / U.S.A. (Director: Dave Grohl) — Through interviews and performances with the legendary musicians and producers who worked at America’s greatest unsung recording studio, Sound City, we explore the human element of music, and the lost art of analog recording in an increasingly digital world. We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks / U.S.A. (Director: Alex Gibney) — In 2010, WikiLeaks and its sources used the power of the Internet to usher in what was for some a new era of transparency and for others the beginnings of an information war. When I Walk / U.S.A., Canada (Director: Jason DaSilva) — At 25, filmmaker and artist Jason DaSilva finds out he has a severe form of multiple sclerosis. This film shares his personal and grueling journey over the next seven years. Along the way, an unlikely miracle changes everything. Which Way is the Front Line from Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington / U.S.A. (Director: Sebastian Junger) — Shortly after the release of his documentary Restrepo, photographer Tim Hetherington was killed in Libya. Colleague Sebastian Junger traces Hetherington’s work across the world’s battlefields to reveal how he transcended the boundaries of image-making to become a luminary in his profession. The World According to Dick Cheney / U.S.A. (Directors: R.J. Cutler, Greg Finton) — How did Dick Cheney become the single-most-powerful nonpresidential figure in American history? This multi-layered examination of Cheney’s life, career, key relationships and controversial worldview features exclusive interviews with the former vice president and his closest allies.
Fanboy movie news is out of control today. If this were the 1930s we’d need a massive montage of spinning newspaper headlines. First, talk of Darkseid in Justice League , then the (extremely uninspired) poster from Star Trek Into Darkness , and new art from Man of Steel . Not to be outdone, Marc Webb , readying The Amazing Spider-Man 2 , has thwipped a tweet our way with the first glimpse of our new Harry Osborne – Dane DeHaan. Dane DeHaan, whose ten letter name makes economic a mere three consonants and two vowels, was said to be in the running for Spidey’s new foe against other young men like Alden Ehrenreich (a good actor, but too many letters), Brady Corbet, Eddie Redmayne , Boyd Holbrook, Douglas Booth and Sam Claflin . DeHaan, if you recall, was the main character in the surprisingly effective found-footage superhero (or was it supervillain ?) film Chronicle . Harry Osborn, the son of OsCorp’s Norman Osborn, was played by James Franco in the original Sam Raimi trilogy. DeHaan certainly has that weight-of-the-world sulk down pat, which is a key part of Webb’s Spider-Man aesthetic. The gals who flock to see skinny high school aged white boys will have their needs met, despite DeHaan actually being nearly 27. (That’s okay, Andrew Garfield will be over 30 when The Amazing Spider-Man 2 comes out, which leads me to think that I should probably be rubbing some of that sticky, milky Spidey substance all over my pores.) In the first Amazing Spider-Man 2 look Tweeted today by Webb, DeHaan has a bit of a scrappy look (don’tcha just want to tussle his hair?) but there’s something ominous in his eyes… as if off in the distance he sees an epic climax involving well known New York City landmarks and an inordinate amount of computer generated imagery. Be sure to follow @MarcW for more surprise news about The Amazing Spider-Man 2 ! Follow Jordan Hoffman on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh may publicly disparage Hollywood to his legions of Ditto-heads , but that is not keeping the movie biz away from cashing in on the widely followed conservative. And John Cusack is just the man to do it. John Cusack will take on the role of the ever-controversial Limbaugh in a new biopic that is in its early stages, according to The Guardian. Betty Thomas is eyeing the project as director, which takes a look at the radio personality’s meteoric rise over the past three decades. Cusack may not necessarily share Limbaugh’s conservative orthodoxy, but the story will reportedly give a “non-partisan approach.” Cusack had been a strident critic of George W. Bush’s Administration. He is also expected to be a producer on the project. Betty Thomas has radio credentials having previously directed Howard Stern pic Private Parts . Limbaugh recently lashed out at Hollywood, saying The Dark Knight Rises was anti-Romney because its villain was named Bane, which he said was a reference to the Republican candidate’s former involvement with Bain Capital, which President Obama’s campaign accuses of exporting jobs to China. [ Sources: The Guardian , Deadline ]
The Martha Marcy May Marlene camp notches another chilling character study in the AFI Fest selection Simon Killer , an unsettling look at a young American’s dark descent in Paris directed by Borderline Films ‘ Antonio Campos ( Afterschool ). Glimpse what lies in store with the film’s hauntingly gorgeous, Kubrickian poster design, exclusively on Movieline. Brady Corbet stars as Simon, a college grad traveling abroad who meets a Parisian prostitute (Mati Diop) and takes up with her, entrenching himself in her life in the shadowy streets of the Pigalle. Entrancing and provocative, Simon Killer constructs a sensory cinematic study around Simon’s psyche as he’s revealed to be more complex, and more dangerous, than what he seems. The visual parallel to 2001: A Space Odyssey ‘s famous “eye” poster is an intriguing comparison point to draw; Simon Killer is quite a trip in itself, a portrait of an affable twentysomething’s innocuous-enough wanderings through Paris that takes unexpected turns, forcing the audience to re-examine their perceptions of, and sympathy to, its protagonist. (The poster design is by Brandon Schaefer of Seek & Speak.) Simon Killer is set for release via IFC in April of 2013; it screens today, November 5 and again on November 7 at AFI Fest , which is a great opportunity to see one of the boldest and most provocative films we’ll see in the coming year. Read more on Simon Killer here . Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
