Movies News Headlines

By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After years of struggling to break into the Hollywood A-list from television, actor Bradley Cooper has gained some serious recognition for his work on the silver screen. Cooper returns to the comedy franchise, "The Hangover," which skyrocketed his career, after dramatic roles that …

By Alonso Duralde LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - When everything around you is stultifyingly familiar, it's the tiny variations that catch your attention. And in "Epic," when the filmmakers take little detours from the reluctant-warrior-accepts-his/her-destiny plot, it brings some desperately needed livening up to what otherwise …

By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - After conquering "The Hunger Games," Josh Hutcherson is set to star in the dark psychological thriller "Ape" for Atomic Owl Pictures and JetLag Productions. Miguel Sapochnik ("Repo Men") will direct the film from a script by newcomer Jon Johnstone. Bree Herzog is producing for …

By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Lionsgate nabbed U.S. distribution rights to the crime drama "Blood Ties" from Worldview Entertainment, the studio said Wednesday from the Cannes Film Festival. The film premiered at the French Riviera gathering this week and features Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Mila Kunis, Zoé Saldana, …

(Strong language in paragraph 7) By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Ryan Gosling must be feeling pretty happy about his decision to skip the red carpet at Cannes this year. Critics at the Riviera film festival vivisected "Only God Forgives," his ultra-violent collaboration with Nicolas Winding Refn, leaving it as …

By Greg Gilman LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Endless Love," a romantic drama starring Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde, will be released in theaters on February 14, 2014, Universal announced on Tuesday. Shana Feste ("Country Strong") is directing the remake, which explores the relationship between a privileged girl (Wilde) …

By Thuy Ong SYDNEY (Reuters) - Director Baz Luhrmann brought "The Great Gatsby" home on Wednesday for its Australian premiere, with box-office success for the Sydney-produced film bolstering hopes for the resurgence of the local film industry. The film, set in 1920s New York and starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, …

By Greg Gilman LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Star Trek Into Darkness" co-writer Damon Lindelof has kind of, sort of apologized for anyone offended by the gratuitous display of Alice Eve's nearly-naked body in movie theaters (and the movie's marketing) around the world. "I copped to the fact that we should have done a better …

By Belinda Goldsmith CANNES (Reuters) - An ultra-violent thriller set in the Bangkok underworld of brothels and fight clubs came under attack at the Cannes film festival on Wednesday for its bloodletting which Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn defended as art. "Only God Forgives" by Refn, who won the best director award …

By Leah Rozen LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Years from now, doctoral candidates are likely to write entire extended theses on Alan Garner, the character so memorably and brilliantly played by Zach Galifianakis in the "Hangover" series. This bearded baby-man - he's a walking Chia Pet - is pure id, one of the most transgressive …

By Alonso Duralde LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Neuropsychologists should consider studying "Fast & Furious 6" (and its equally thrilling predecessor, "Fast Five") for its unique ability to completely bypass the brain's logic center and go right to pushing our pleasure buttons over and over again. Countless action directors …

By Greg Gilman LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Melissa McCarthy allegedly booted a female extra from the set of her directorial debut "Tammy" on Monday after catching the woman mistreating, and possibly even abusing, her child. TMZ reports the unidentified woman reported to work on the Wilmington, N.C., set with a 4 to 5 year-old …

By Lucas Shaw LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The Weinstein Company has acquired the rights to "Passengers," an upcoming sci-fi film starring Keanu Reeves and Reese Witherspoon, according to multiple individuals with knowledge of the deal. The movie won't begin filming for at least a few months, and TWC plans to release it …

By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Weinstein Company is closing in on U.S. rights to Jean-Pierre Jeunet's 3D adventure movie "The Young and Prodigious Spivet," which is one of the hottest available titles at Cannes. A spokesperson for TWC didn't immediately respond to TheWrap's request for comment, but an individual …

By Belinda Goldsmith CANNES (Reuters) - The relationship between the flamboyant pianist Liberace and his young lover dazzled at the Cannes film festival on Tuesday and threw the spotlight on gay rights at the movie industry's largest annual gathering. Director Steven Soderbergh said he struggled five years ago to secure …

By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Relativity is back in business with its "Paranoia" star Liam Hemsworth, who has signed on to lead the upcoming action film "Aurora Rising." Written by Christian Gudegast, the story follows a surfer (Hemsworth) turned military fighter pilot who, after acing a complicated and messy …

By Alexandria Sage CANNES (Reuters) - Paolo Sorrentino's "The Great Beauty," a nostalgic, melancholic ode to the eternal city Rome, is one of several films that touch on the unraveling of contemporary Italy in official selection at the Cannes film festival this year. Also competing for the prestigious Palme d'Or award to …

By Brent Lang NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Seth MacFarlane will not return to host the 2014 Oscars, the filmmaker and hit TV writer/producer announced on Monday. MacFarlane said that his schedule did not permit him to return. "Traumatized critics exhale: I'm unable to do the Oscars again. Tried to make it work schedule-wise, …

By Alexandria Sage CANNES (Reuters) - Japanese director Takashi Miike got the final week of the Cannes film festival off to an explosive start on Monday, with big budget cop thriller "Shield of Straw" a sharp contrast to the more intense, intimate movies screened so far. Typically for Cannes, where critical passions run …

By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Kate Hudson is set to play the female lead opposite Zach Braff in the director's Kickstarter-approved indie movie "Wish I Was Here." Braff stars as Aidan Bloom, a struggling actor, father and husband who is still trying to find his identity and purpose at age 35. Hudson will play …

By Steve Pond LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The Academy has relaxed the rules for winning an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, allowing more individuals to take home statuettes. In rule changes approved by the AMPAS Board of Governors, the filmmaker with producer credit will now receive an Oscar in the category, along with …

By Mike Davidson CANNES (Reuters) - He's played a science-fiction hero, policeman and even Hamlet. But now actor Keanu Reeves is taking on a new role - as director of a contemporary martial arts movie aimed at both Chinese and Western audiences. Reeves has stepped behind the camera to make his directorial debut with "Man …

By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Chinese actress Li Bingbing has joined the cast of "Transformers 4," Paramount Pictures said Monday. She will co-star in the sequel along with Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer and Jack Reynor. Michael Bay will once again direct and orchestrate the fireballs and global …