‘American Hustle’ and ‘Gravity’ top Oscar Nominations

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Columbia Pictures, FOCUS, Fox Searchlight, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Biopics, Drama, Period, Science Fiction, Thrillers, Awards, New Releases,

American Hustle and Gravity lead this year's Academy Award nominations.

David O. Russell's crime caper starring Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence and Alfonso Cuaron's breathtaking space thriller both have 10 nominations at the 86th annual film awards, while 12 Years a Slave follows closely behind with nine nods.

American Hustle is up for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, as well as acting nominations for all four main cast members including Christian, Jennifer, Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper.

Gravity and 12 Years a Slave are also in contention for Best Picture alongside Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Nebraska, Her, Philomena and The Wolf of Wall Street. 12 Years a Slave has yielded a Best Actor nomination for leading man Chiwetel Ejiofor, Best Supporting Actor for Michael Fassbender and Best Supporting Actress for newcomer Lupita Nyong'o.

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VIDEO: First ‘Maleficent’ Trailer Unveiled

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Buena Vista, Disney, Adaptation, Adventure, Trailers, Upcoming Releases, Videos,

It's about time! Nearly a year and a half after the first photos leaked of filming at Buckinghamshire, Disney has finally released the first trailer for their live-action tale of Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent, which stars Angelina Jolie as the eponymous villainess fairy.

If you can hear past Elle Fanning's weird accent (is she supposed to sound English?) as the ill-fated Princess Aurora, the film looks promisingly like a fun fairy tale mash-up of The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. The teaser also offers a quick glimpse of Jolie's real life daughter Vivienne's film debut as a younger Princess Aurora. Of course, one look at Jolie's badass horns, piercing green eyes, and I-bet-you-can-cut-someone-with-those cheekbones, and you're likely checking your calendar to see how many days are left until the film hits theaters on May 30 next year. Am I right?

Read More | io9

Thor: The Dark World trailer [Video!]

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Action, Adaptation, Sequels, Trailers, Upcoming Releases, Videos,

The long-awaited trailer for Thor: The Dark World is finally here, offering a look at the main characters in the film, like Malekith (played by Christopher Eccleston.) Thor: The Dark World hits theaters on November 8, 2013.

Just as Marvels “Thor: The Dark World” continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvels “Thor” and “Marvels The Avengers,” Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos…but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Check out the trailer after the break!

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Peter O’Toole Retires From Acting

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Classics, Celeb News,

Peter O'Toole has retired from acting.

The 79-year-old star - who played the titular character in 1962 movie Lawrence of Arabia - has bid a "dry-eyed" farewell to the profession and praised all the "fine people" and "good companions" he met throughout his career.

"It is time for me to chuck in the sponge. To retire from films and stage. The heart for it has gone out of me: it won't come back. My professional acting life, stage and screen, has brought me public support, emotional fulfillment and material comfort. It has brought me together with fine people, good companions with whom I've shared the inevitable lot of all actors: flops and hits. However, it's my belief that one should decide for oneself when it is time to end one's stay. So I bid the profession a dry-eyed and profoundly grateful farewell."

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George Lucas is Retiring

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Lucasfilm Ltd., Action, Adventure, Classics, Science Fiction, Sequels, Filmmaking,

George Lucas is still planning to retire.

The Star Wars director is hoping to give up on Hollywood and make small scale movies at home for his own enjoyment.

"I'm moving away from the company, I'm moving away from all my businesses, I'm finishing all my obligations and I'm going to retire to my garage with my saw and hammer and build hobby movies. I've always wanted to make movies that were more experimental in nature, and not have to worry about them showing in movie theaters," he told Esquire.

George, 68, has made similar claims in January, and previously in 2005, when the final Star Wars film to date, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was released. While many take the director's words with a pinch of salt - as he is widely expected to keep working as a producer on Hollywood films, including a possible new Indiana Jones movie - it is unlikely he will make any new Star Wars films, possibly after criticism he received over the three films in the franchise he made between 1999 and 2005 and his re-tweaking of elements in the original movies, shot in the 70s and 80s.

"Why would I make any more? When everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?" he said at the time.

Skyfall Trailer Unveiled

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Columbia Pictures, MGM, Action, Mystery, Sequels, Thrillers, Trailers, Upcoming Releases, Videos,

The first trailer for the 23rd James Bond movie Skyfall has been unveiled. The one minute 24 second teaser (seen above) shows British spy James - played by Daniel Craig for the third time - being interrogated by agents, before scenes showing him shooting a gun and a number of coffins with the Union Jack flag draped on them. There are also scenes from an exploded house and M - portrayed by Judi Dench - also appears briefly.

M is set to be the focus of the movie, which will tell the tale of her past coming back to haunt her.

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Ben Kingsley to Star in Iron Man 3

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Paramount, Action, Adaptation, Science Fiction, Sequels, Thrillers, Casting, Celeb News, Scripts, Upcoming Releases,

Ben Kingsley is to appear in Iron Man 3. The Hugo actor is in final negotiations to star in the forthcoming Marvel blockbuster as an enemy of Tony Stark/Iron Man - played by Robert Downey Jr. - though the exact details of the character are being kept under wraps.

Variety, however, reports the villain is expected involved in the spread of a virus through nanobots because the film is believed to be loosely based on the 2005 Extremis comicbook series. News of the story arc may disappoint some fans as it had previously been speculated the next movie in the series would see the titular character take on his original archenemy the Mandarin, a wealthy Chinese scientist and martial arts exert who backed the warlord who imprisoned Stark.

Jon Favreau - who directed the first two films in the franchise - had previously expressed an interest in exploring the character, but he has moved on from the series, with Shane Black at the helm of Iron Man 3. Shane is also co-writing the script with Drew Pearce.

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Ashton Kutcher to Play Steve Jobs

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Biopics, Casting, Celeb News, Upcoming Releases,

Ashton Kutcher is set to play Apple founder Steve Jobs in a new movie.

The Two and a Half Men star - who is a renowned lover of gadgets - will play the late technology guru in an as-yet-untitled picture written by Matt Whiteley. Filming is set to star in May, and the film tells the tale of Steve's life "from wayward hippie to co-founder of Apple, where he became one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of our time," according to Variety.

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Gary Ross’ Hunger Games Sequel Plans

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Lionsgate, Action, Adaptation, Sequels, Thrillers, Filmmaking, New Releases, Upcoming Releases,

Gary Ross "intends" to make the next Hunger Games movie

The director of The Hunger Games has revealed that he is set to make the next film in the three part series written by Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire, because he has been asked to.

"I am attached to the next film and I'm intending to do it, I haven't had a chance to think about it yet. So many people ask me adaptation questions or 'Who's gonna play so-and-so?' I literally finished this movie Tuesday at midnight, I finished color timing, and then I went into the junket a day later, so it's not like I've had a chance to think about Catching Fire, but yeah it's my intention to do the next one. They've asked me to do so," he said.

Actor Liam Hemsworth, who plays Gale Hawthorne in the film, is very much looking forward to working with Gary for the follow-up:

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Michael Bay Tells Ninja Turtles Fans to ‘Chill’

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Action, Adaptation, Classics, Family, Remakes, Science Fiction, Celebrity Controversy, Rumors, Scripts, Upcoming Releases,

Michael Bay has called for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans to "chill."

The filmmaker caused outrage when he recently claimed that the reboot of the project which he will be producing will show the main characters Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael as members of an "alien race," but after vocal opposition from fans he has tried to allay the public's fears.

"Fans need to take a breath, and chill. They have not read the script. Our team is working closely with one of the original creators of Ninja Turtles to help expand and give a more complex back story. Relax, we are including everything that made you become fans in the first place. We are just building a richer world. Michael," he wrote on the forum of his site.

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