It’s been nearly two and a half years since word first came of Kevin Spacey heading off to China, where the Oscar winner and noted cell-phone critic would become the first major star to lead a fully Chinese-funded production. That production, Inseparable , finally has a teaser on the Web, and it’s… interesting . The given tagline — “A young man with problems at home and work befriends his odd neighbor” — is vague enough, but nothing quite prepares you for the last shot… …unless you happen to have previously had a look at the new posters. Thoughts, anyone? Ha! Trick question — your head exploded. Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
The auction-happy crew at Profiles in History, which has previously unloaded Hollywood treasures ranging from Dorothy’s ruby slippers to the Dude’s sweater from The Big Lebowski , has got the 10-year-old in you right where they want it: Prepare yourself for the most comprehensive auction of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory memorabilia to date, featuring costumes, props and one of only two known Everlasting Gobstoppers in existence. Also: They will cost you. Via a press release just in from PiH : First up and most significantly is the Gene Wilder “Willy Wonka” signature costume. The costume consists of flamboyant purple velvet frock coat, wool & camelhair slacks, off-white shirt, distinctive purple & violet lamé vest with floral design and satin bow tie. Originally obtained from Michael D. Beinner, Director of Field Advertising and Publicity for Paramount Pictures who was gifted the costume following its promotional tour of several key cities around the U.S. Without doubt, one of the most iconic and instantly recognizable costumes in the history of film. It is estimated to fetch $80,000 – $120,000. Also up for auction are three iconic items from the collection of Julie Dawn Cole, who played “Veruca Salt.” First is an original screen-used Everlasting Gobstopper, one of only two known to exist. It comes with a notarized copy of a letter from Ms. Cole stating (in part), “The Everlasting Gobstopper was used in the Inventing Room Scene. Mr. Wonka gives each of the children one Everlasting Gobstopper each. Typically Veruca tries to wangle another one, if only she had succeeded! But at least I was allowed to keep this one.” It is expected to fetch $20,000 – $30,000. You can also own the Golden Egg, screen used by Julie Dawn Cole during the “I Want it Now,” musical number. The egg comes with a notarized copy of a letter from Ms. Cole stating (in part), “The Filming of this [Golden Egg] scene and Veruca’s demise was actually filmed on my 13th birthday. The egg was presented to me at the end of the day’s shoot as a birthday present.” The egg is fashioned from polystyrene foam painted gold and is expected to fetch $20,000 – $30,000. And there’s more , all going on the block in July . Sadly, no Oompa Loompas are to be found on the list (though one of those costumes is up for sale as well, a representative notes), and the beheaded chicken from the psychedelic-tunnel-trip montage doesn’t come with a Certificate of Authenticity, so caveat emptor, etc. [ Profiles in History ]
This morning’s Biz Break includes news of Webby Award winners, more Hulk gigs for Mark Ruffalo, a Rascal -y pick up by Warner Bros. and a new venture by the founder of Summit Entertainment. 2012 Webby Awards Congratulations to our friends and colleagues at Indiewire which won the Webby Award in the Movie and Film category today. Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures’ The Muppets Mahna Mahna won the People’s Voice prize in the same category. Louis C.K. was recognized as Webby Person of the Year for his groundbreaking digital-only release Louis C.K. – Live at the Beach Theater , while also taking prizes at the 16th annual event were Pinterest, Spotify and Google+ — all of which took their first Webbys. Facebook was recognized with the inaugural People’s Special Achievement for Social Change prize, singer Bjork will be presented with the Webby Artist of the Year Award for her “Biophilia” album, and Instagram won the Webby Breakout of the Year award. The Webby Awards will be held May 21 in New York; Patton Oswalt will host. Visit the Webby site for more winners. From around the ‘net… Mark Ruffalo to Return as Hulk in Five More Films? Ruffalo talks about his six-picture deal with Marvel, which would have him returning as Bruce Banner/The Hulk in five more films after his incarnation of the green creature in Avengers explodes in the U.S. box office this weekend. Collider reports . Summit co-Founder David Garrett and Constantin Film Launch New Venture David Garrett, co-founder of Summit Entertainment, and former President of Summit International, announced today that he is launching a new company, Mister Smith Entertainment, at the upcoming 2012 Cannes Film Market, Deadline reports . Warner Bros. Picks Up Rascal Raccoon for Harold & Kumar Director The studio has picked up Rascal Raccoon’s Raging Revenge with Harold & Kumar Christmas director Todd Strauss-Schulson attached to direct and Matt Fogel set to adapt the screenplay. THR reports . Atlas Independent Gets Revenge Tribeca premiere Revenge for Jolly! , the first completed film of Atlas Entertainment’s year-old label Atlas Independent, is set to hit the Cannes Market for international sales via Highland Film Group, Variety reports . Once Dominates Tony Award Nominations The romantic comedy involving a flower seller, a street musician, and a vacuum cleaner repairman — received 11 nominations including Best Musical, Best Actor in a Musical, and Best Actress in a Musical, Deadline reports .
These guys must want us dead REALLY badly Authorities Say Terrorists May Begin Using Bombs Placed Inside Bodies To Evade Security With the anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death looming, American and European authorities told ABC News today that they fear al Qaeda may soon try to explode U.S.-bound aircraft with explosives hidden inside the bodies of terrorists. As a result, security at several airports in the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe and the Middle East has been substantially stepped up, with a focus on U.S. carriers. Additional federal air marshals have also been shifted overseas in advance of the anniversary. A year ago Tuesday night, President Obama announced on live television that bin Laden had been killed in a U.S. raid on a compound in Pakistan. Medical experts say there is plenty of room in the stomach area of the body for surgically implanted explosives. “The surgeon would open the abdominal cavity and literally implant the explosive device in amongst the internal organs,” explained Dr. Mark Melrose, a New York emergency medicine specialist. For the last year, U.S. and European authorities have publicly warned that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), al Qaeda’s Yemeni affiliate, and its master bomb-maker, Ibrahim al-Asiri, have been designing body bombs with no metal parts to get past airport security. How bad to you have to hate America to get a bomb surgically implanted into your stomach?? Sheesh…smh Source
The hits just keep on coming for Robyn Fenty Rihanna Rumored To Be In Talks For Role In Fast And Furious 6 “Battleship” hasn’t even debuted in the U.S. yet, but that’s not stopping Rihanna from continuing her big screen takeover. According to U.K. paper The Sun, the “We Found Love” singer has been cast as a villain in the sixth installment of “The Fast and the Furious” franchise. The pop music hitmaker will make her film debut in “Battleship” — out May 18 — but The Sun reports that Rihanna will play a dangerous femme fatale alongside regulars Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, and will film her part in London. A source tells the newspaper that Rihanna’s “Fast 6″ character “has plenty of bite.” “Fast and Furious 6″ is expected to begin production in May, with shooting to take place in the U.K. The Sun doesn’t specify whether Rihanna is currently in talks or if her involvement in the sequel is already locked down, so we’re going to file this under rumor until RiRi confirms the news. Would Rihanna’s presence make you go see ANOTHER sequel of Fast and Furious ?? Source
Where have we heard this before: MGM is moving forward with its planned remake of of the 1982 horror classic Poltergeist , this time with Sam Raimi co-producing and his Oz: The Great and Powerful screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire contributing the latest script. Some wailing and gnashing has ensued around the Web, but let’s just calm down — we’re only a year and a half behind the scheduled release date of the previous remake they threatened. Sounds like a high priority! The beleaguered studio has long included Poltergeist among its list of post-bankruptcy remake prospects , with director Vadim Perelman ( House of Sand and Fog ) previously attached to direct a do-over written by Juliet Snowden and Stiles White ( Knowing ). That version surfaced almost four years ago . Meanwhile, according to THR , the latest would have Raimi producing (but not directing) alongside Nathan Kahane, Roy Lee and Robert Tapert. And that’s… it . That is literally all the information anyone has about an unwanted remake taxiing down the MGM runway behind such sluggish studio jets as RoboCop and Carrie . So let me just say it again: Relax! Plugging Raimi’s name into a project these days virtually ensures at least a few years of development hell, and the infamously accursed Poltergeist production legend should take care of scuttling the rest. Go back to dreading Short Circuit , already. [ THR ]
“[I]f I had to stand up in front of students and justify the real-world utility of a Film Studies major, I’d say, “OK, maybe if you want to be in the industry you can bust your ass and end up as an assistant in the marketing department for Pixar. Maybe you’ll even get health insurance. But we’re moving into a service economy, and most of you will end up working at Wal-Mart, and the way that Film Studies will be useful to you will be when you try to pick up someone in a bar, you’ll have something to talk about, because everybody likes to talk about movies.” Your move, Gary Ross . [ Vetoxa via Looker ]
The upcoming Cannes Film Festival added additional titles to its Official Selection Monday, including American title Gimme The Loot which screened last week at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Today’s additions join the 22 other films in the official selection and 16 in the event’s Un Certain Regard section as well as the previously announced Critics Week lineup . Additionally, the fest said the montage film Final Cut – Hölgyeim És Uraim by György Pálfi (Hungary), produced by Béla Tarr, which will close Cannes Classics on Saturday, May 25. Titles added to the Cannes official selection : Trashed by Candida Brady (UK) – Special Screening The Sapphires by Wayne Blair (Australia, 1st film) – Midnight Screening Maniac by Franck Khalfoun (USA/France) – Midnight Screening Djeca by Aida Begic (Bosnia-Herzegovina) – Un Certain Regard Gimme the Loot by Adam Leon (USA) (1st film) – Un Certain Regard Renoir by Gilles Bourdos (France), at the closing ceremony – Un Certain Regard
While officials in Kazakhstan were initially perturbed by Borat and the adventures of Sacha Baron Cohen’s Kazakh journalist in America, now one leader has thanked the filmmakers for a subsequent boost in tourism to the former Soviet republic. “With the release of this film, the number of visas issued by Kazakhstan grew tenfold,” Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov told the nation’s parliament. “I am grateful to Borat for helping attract tourists to Kazakhstan.” Very nice! [ IMDb , AFP ]
Look, it’s Friday. Remember that time I gave you 13 dancing Spider-Men ? Yeah. In honor of the weekend (and bodybuilding and social media and Twins and Terminator and Kindergarten Cop , which ruled) let’s take a look at the best pins former California governor/Cyberdyne Systems Model 101 Arnold Schwarzenegger has made after a few weeks on Pinterest . Giant naan-eating Governator in 3, 2, 1… Schwarzenegger, along with more and more Hollywood types ( real and fictitious ), joined the new photo-pinning app thingy recently in a clever stroke of marketing genius. Looking for help picking the perfect back-cover photo for his upcoming memoir, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story , Schwarzenegger put out a call to fans; Tweet or Pinterest or Facebook Arnie a photo of — who else? — Arnie from any moment in his bizarrely varied professional career and if he uses your selection, he’ll give you a finder’s fee publishing credit free training session shout-out! But while crowd-sourcing for his own book seems to have been the original impetus for Schwarzenegger’s foray into the brave new world of Pinterest, it’s yielded a cache of kinda-great vintage photos of Arnold in action over the years. (Warning: If oiled-up beefcake shots of Arnold in his meathead prime freak you out, avoid his “Bodybuilder” board.) Even better: The more personal, candid photos he posts to the “Recent Trips” section, which is where he pins pics of himself eating giant slabs of naan and calling green energy “sexy.” Herewith, my friends, let us quickly rank the 5 best photos on Arnold’s Pinterest: 5. Arnold eats his way across India! Source: twitter.com via Arnold on Pinterest — 4. Actual caption: “Geneva: I had a great time in Switzerland speaking about making green energy sexy.” Source: swissinfo.ch via Arnold on Pinterest — 3. Let us not forget that this man was once in charge of the world’s eighth largest economy. Source: Uploaded by user via Arnold on Pinterest — 2. Arnold poses while buying charitable items at Wal-Mart for cold people, thus proving that he is one of you people. Source: twitter.com via Arnold on Pinterest — 1. Eat it, Ferrigno. Source: twitter.com via Arnold on Pinterest — Browse Schwarzenegger’s Pinterest here . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
