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Keanu Reeves makes director debut with modern Kung Fu film

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:04:00 -0400

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 of Tai Chi", a trilingual film loosely based on the life of a stuntman, Tiger Chen, whom he befriended while working on the sci-fi "The Matrix" trilogy. ...

Week two of Cannes film festival gets off to explosive start

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:18:39 -0400

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 high, both exuberant cheers and boos rang out after an advance press screening of "Wara No Tate" ("Shield of Straw"), one of 20 entries vying for the top Palme d'Or prize awarded on Sunday. ...

'Hunger Games' star Liam Hemsworth to lead action movie 'Aurora Rising'

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:18:28 -0400

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 first combat mission, gets recruited to be part of an elite team to test the next generation of aircrafts just as an international conflict begins to escalate. ...

Seth MacFarlane won't host Oscars, recommends Joaquin Phoenix for 2014

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:01:52 -0400

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, but I need sleep," MacFarlane tweeted. MacFarlane's turn as emcee of the 2013 Oscars divided the community. Some found him funny and eager to experiment while many found him crass and unoriginal, citing a long gag about breasts. ...

Kate Hudson joins Zach Braff in Kickstarter movie 'Wish I Was Here'

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:55:41 -0400

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 Braff's wife and the mother of his two children. She joins a cast that includes Mandy Patinkinand Josh Gad as Braff's father and brother, respectively, as well as Anna Kendrick, Jim Parsons and Braff's "Scrubs" co-star Donald Faison. ...

Academy to give more Oscars for animated feature

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:04:27 -0400

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 the film's credited director. In cases where a two-person team has shared director credit, a third statuette can be awarded. In the past, the Animated Feature Oscar went to the single individual with the most creative input into the film, typically the director. ...

Chinese Actress Li Bingbing Joins 'Transformers 4'

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:29:01 -0400

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 mayhem. Li has previously appeared in "Resident Evil: Retribution" and "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. ...

'Chuck' star Zachary Levi to make Broadway debut

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:36:44 -0400

By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Zachary Levi, star of the late, lamented NBC action comedy "Chuck," will make his Broadway debut in the musical comedy "First Date," the show's producers said Monday. Levi anchored the cult TV series for five seasons, starring as a computer-whiz who becomes an improbable spy. He also did voice work for 2011's "Tangled" and is set to appear in "Thor: The Dark World." In "First Date," Levi plays a high-strung man who gets set up with a serial-dater. ...

Martin Scorsese to present Mel Brooks with AFI Award

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:06:10 -0400

By Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Martin Scorsese and Mel Brooks are rarely mentioned in the same sentence. Although both men are film legends, their styles and subject matter are worlds apart-- one is associated with gritty depictions of criminality while the other is best known for his pioneering fart jokes. The two men will share the same stage, however, on June 6, when Scorsese will present Brooks with the American Film Institute's 41st Life Achievement Award. ...

‘The Simpsons' writer Jon Vitti to script ‘Angry Birds' movie

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:33:02 -0400

By Lucas Shaw NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Jon Vitti, an Emmy-winning writer and producer of hit animated shows such as "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill," will write the screenplay for the upcoming "Angry Birds" movie, multiple individuals with knowledge of the project told TheWrap. Rovio Entertainment, which developed and made the popular gaming franchise, is financing and producing the film. Sony will release it worldwide in July 2016. In Vitti, Rovio has hired a screenwriter with experience turning popular existing franchises into hit movies. ...

VH1 sets theatrical release for Napster documentary 'Downloaded'

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:13:58 -0400

By Steve Pond LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Downloaded," Alex Winter's documentary about the rise and fall of the transformative but controversial company Napster, will receive theatrical and VOD runs from VH1 beginning in late June, the music network announced on Monday. Directed and produced by Alex Winter, the film will open in New York City on June 21 and Los Angeles on June 28, and will then expand to Albuquerque, Austin, Chicago, Columbus, Grand Rapids, Martha's Vineyard, San Francisco and Seattle, among other cities. ...

'Star Trek' sequel tops weekend box office in North America

Sun, 19 May 2013 16:26:56 -0400

By Lisa Richwine and Andrea Burzynski (Reuters) - "Star Trek Into Darkness," the newest installment in the classic intergalactic franchise, blasted to the top of movie box office charts with $70.6 million in weekend ticket sales at theaters in the United States and Canada. The new 3D voyage for Captain Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise knocked mighty "Iron Man 3" into second place, while the Marvel superhero sequel grabbed $35.2 million. Jazz Age drama "The Great Gatsby" finished third with $23.4 million, according to studio estimates. ...

Palestinian film of love and betrayal breaks new ground at Cannes

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:02:17 -0400

By Belinda Goldsmith CANNES (Reuters) - A tragic love story between two Palestinians living under Israeli occupation received a standing ovation at the Cannes film festival on Monday and broke new ground as the first film fully funded by the Palestinian cinema industry. "Omar" by director Hany Abu-Assad, known for the 2005 award-winning film "Paradise Now", is a political thriller interwoven with a story of trust and betrayal as two lovers are torn apart by Israel's secret police and Palestinian freedom fighters. ...

Cannes: where celebrity sells and celebrities sell

Sun, 19 May 2013 17:34:52 -0400

By Belinda Goldsmith CANNES (Reuters) - Film stars come to Cannes to promote themselves and their projects - so where better to launch a wry documentary bemoaning the seeming dominance of celebrity pulling-power over content? With parties, pitching and paparazzi already in overdrive at the world's premier movie market, director James Toback on Sunday showed "Seduced and Abandoned", the story of how he and actor Alec Baldwin talked to directors, investors and studio heads at Cannes last year to seek funding for a film with no A-list star. ...

Down-on-luck singer steals show in Coen brothers Cannes film

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:20:08 -0400

By Alexandria Sage CANNES (Reuters) - Folk music, Greenwich Village and a quick-footed cat star in the new Coen brothers movie at the Cannes film festival on Sunday, kicking off the first of five U.S. entries with its engaging misadventures of a struggling singer. "Inside Llewyn Davis" by directing duo Ethan and Joel Coen is a delightful tale about the early 1960s folk music scene, a tribute to artists living hand to mouth, and an ode to New York all at once. ...

Indian cinema on a mission at Cannes to dispel Bollywood image

Sun, 19 May 2013 16:12:12 -0400

By Belinda Goldsmith CANNES (Reuters) - Indian movie actors and a new wave of directors are on a mission at the Cannes film festival - to show that their industry, which turns 100 this year, is more than just Bollywood. The largest Indian contingent to date is on the French Riviera at the world's leading cinema showcase to promote the world's biggest film industry that makes over 1,000 films a year, compared with about 600 in Hollywood. ...

Native American actress proud to walk Cannes red carpet

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:41:41 -0400

By Belinda Goldsmith CANNES (Reuters) - Native American actress Misty Upham never dreamt she would be walking the red carpet at Cannes to showcase a film shot on her reservation. Upham features in "Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian", focused on the relationship between World War Two veteran Jimmy Picard, a Native American Blackfoot, and Georges Devereux, his psychoanalyst. Upham said like Picard, played by Puerto Rican actor Benicio Del Toro, she is Blackfeet, the largest tribe in Montana state. ...

Agonizing family choice in Japanese film at Cannes festival

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:00:36 -0400

By Alexandria Sage CANNES (Reuters) - A film about baby-switching by Japan's Kore-eda Hirokazu that ponders nature versus nurture premiered at the Cannes film festival on Saturday, joining an Iranian challenger as contenders for the top prize. "Soshite Chichi Ni Naru" ("Like Father, Like Son") is one of two Japanese films out of the international roster of 20 vying to take home the Palme d'Or prize on May 26 from the world's largest film festival being held on the French Riviera. Japan has won four times before, most recently in 1997 with Shohei Imamura's "Unagi" ("The Eel"). ...

Shots fired at Cannes film festival, actors flee for cover

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:25:36 -0400

By Matthias Galante CANNES, France (Reuters) - A man was arrested at the Cannes film festival on Friday after firing a starting pistol during a live TV broadcast on the palm-lined waterfront, sending actors Christoph Waltz and Daniel Auteuil running for cover. French TV station Canal+ was interviewing Austria's Oscar-winning Waltz and French actor Auteuil live on its nightly news show from a beach-front set before a crowd of spectators when a man fired two shots into the air. "The bodyguards jumped over the barriers into the crowd and pulled him to the ground. ...

Marton Csokas in negotiations to battle Denzel Washington in 'The Equalizer'

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:39:45 -0400

By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - With three major movies on the horizon, Marton Csokas is a hot commodity in Hollywood and now he's in negotiations to join Denzel Washington in Antoine Fuqua's Sony drama "The Equalizer." Washington stars as black ops vigilante Robert McCall, the former intelligence officer played by Edward Woodward on the 1980s television series created by Michael Sloan. Csokas will play a rogue CIA agent who protects the Russian mob and winds up crossing paths with the vengeful protagonist. ...

Terry Crews, Kevin Nealon join Adam Sandler comedy

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:47:03 -0400

By Lucas Shaw NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Terry Crews and Kevin Nealon have joined the cast of "Blended," a romantic comedy that will star Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, several individuals with knowledge of the production told TheWrap. The film centers on a couple whose disastrous blind date finds them at a family resort with their children from previous marriages. Sandler and Barrymore play the couple, while Joe McHale will play Barrymore's former husband. ...

Jewels stolen in Cannes, Chopard says not for stars

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:24:25 -0400

CANNES, France (Reuters) - Chopard jewelry worth $1.4 million intended to adorn movie stars at the Cannes film festival has been stolen, a police source said on Friday, but the company said the value had been exaggerated and the items were not for actresses to use. According to the source, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to discuss the case with the press, the jewels were in the safe of a room rented by an employee of the luxury jeweler, which is also a Cannes sponsor. "The jeweler hasn't yet furnished details of what exactly was stolen," the source said. ...

'Endless Love' remake seduces rising stars Rhys Wakefield and Emma Rigby

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:18:10 -0400

By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Rising stars Rhys Wakefield and Emma Rigby have joined the cast of Universal Pictures' remake of romantic drama "Endless Love." Shana Feste ("Country Strong") is directing the film, which stars Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde as teenage lovers from opposite backgrounds. Bruce Greenwood and Robert Patrick play Wilde and Pettyfer's fathers, respectively. Wakefield will play Wilde's older brother who is under pressure to live up to the legacy of his late older brother. ...

'Shameless' star Emma Greenwell to get 'Wild' for Radiant Films International

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:32:16 -0400

By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Radiant Films International has acquired international rights to Vivienne DeCourcy's uplifting dramedy "Wild," which stars up-and-coming actress Emma Greenwell ("Shameless") and Tom Hughes. DeCourcy is making her feature directorial debut with the comedic drama, which she also wrote. Jay Cohen from the Gersh Agency is handling U.S. rights. ...

Michael B. Jordan on playing a black superhero: 'I'm up for it'

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:35:08 -0400

By Sharon Waxman CANNES, France (TheWrap.com) - Michael B. Jordan, a rising young talent who is winning new fans at the Cannes Film Festival, told TheWrap on Friday that playing a superhero of color is something he's up for. "If it were to happen, I would definitely embrace it and take it on, for sure," he told TheWrap at a Weinstein Co. gathering where his new film, "Fruitvale Station," was presented. He was referring to the possibility of being cast as the Human Torch in a Fox reboot of "Fantastic Four," which TheWrap recently reported is under consideration. ...

'Star Trek Into Darkness' opens to $13.5 million, will hit $100 million by Sunday

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:58:41 -0400

By Lucas Shaw NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - "Star Trek Into Darkness" took in $13.5 million during its first day in domestic theaters Thursday, putting it on track to net $100 million by the end of this weekend, according to studio estimates. The film opened on 3,762 screens, 336 of them IMAX 3D. J.J. Abrams' second foray into Gene Rodenberry's sci-fi universe is expected to surpass his first both at home and abroad. The 2009 film opened to $75 million in the U.S. en route to a domestic gross of $257.7 million. ...

'The English Teacher' review: Agile performances elevate this pleasant comedy

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:56:09 -0400

By Leah Rozen LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Pleasant" is one of those words that English teachers and editors always put on their verboten lists for aspiring writers as being too vague and namby-pamby. But pleasant is the perfect word with which to describe "The English Teacher," an ingratiating little comedy that aims to please and succeeds at its modest goal. The movie's heroine is Linda Sinclair (Julianne Moore), a 40something English teacher at a high school in Kingston, Pa., a suburban town in northwest Pennsylvania. ...

Cannes: ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' sequel books famous director, Uma Thurman to play Anita Bryant

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:55:51 -0400

By Lucas Shaw NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Yuen Wo Ping will direct "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon II - The Green Destiny," the sequel to Ang Lee's Oscar-winning film. Wo Ping is a renowned martial arts director and chroreographer, having directed more than two dozen Chinese-language films and advised or choreographed more than a dozen American actions movies including "The Matrix" trilogy, the "Kill Bill" films and the first "Crouching Tiger. Michelle Yeoh, who starred in the first movie, will reprise her role as Yu Shu Lien and Chinese martial artist and actor Donnie Yen will star as Silent ...

Cannes: ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' sequel books famous director, Uma Thurman to play Anita Bryant

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:09:52 -0400

Gabrielle Union to play Chris Rock's fiancée in his 'Finally Famous'

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:39:51 -0400

By Lucas Shaw LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Gabrielle Union has joined the cast of Chris Rock's new movie, "Finally Famous," playing a reality-TV star engaged to Rock's character, multiple individuals with knowledge of the deal have told TheWrap Rock wrote and will direct the film, his third behind the camera. Rock plays a comedian-turned-film-star who tries to reinvent himself as a serious actor. He's also a recovering alcoholic who owes his sobriety to his fiancée (Union). Her character, eager to be more famous, ties to convince Rock to get married on her show. ...

'Star Trek' beams up $70.1M at box office

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:04:45 -0400

LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Star Trek: Into Darkness" didn't warp past its predecessor.

Seth MacFarlane won't return as 2014 Oscar host

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:54:56 -0400

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Seth MacFarlane is too busy to host the Oscars in 2014.

AP Interview: Soderbergh on quitting movies

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:36:26 -0400

NEW YORK (AP) — Steven Soderbergh is working on a new currency.

After Earth: Jaden Smith Grew 4 Inches & Gained 20 Pounds While Filming

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:19:49 -0400

Will Smith didn't just get to act opposite his son, Jaden Smith, in "After Earth" (which he also produced), the dad watched his teenage son go through a big growth spurt as the cameras rolled.

MTV's 'Teen Wolf' star Dylan O'Brien eyed for DreamWorks' 'Glimmer'

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:30:55 -0400

By Jeff Sneider LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Teen Wolf" star Dylan O'Brien must be howling with excitement, as he's in negotiations for the lead role in DreamWorks' found-footage film "Glimmer," TheWrap has learned. While there's no deal in place yet, DreamWorks clearly likes its chances, as the studio just pushed back the start of production on to January in order to accommodate his busy schedule. O'Brien has a bright future on the big screen. ...