Stay Connected


Search The Screening Log
Ads
Ads
• Follow us on

Entries in Biopic (19)

Wednesday
18Mar2009

Scott Eastwood joins father's Nelson Mandela biopic

Scott Eastwood is the latest to join Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman in Clint Eastwood's upcoming drama ("The Human Factor") about the life of former South African President Nelson Mandela.

Morgan Freeman is on board to play Mandela, while Damon will jump into the role of rugby player Francois Pienaar, who teamed up with Mandela to travel around the country after the fall of apartheid.

The film also gives in insight into Mandela’s life during his first term as president, when he backed South Africa’s Springboks team at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Eastwood is set to play a member of Pienaar's team. Anthony Peckham wrote the screenplay based on a book by John Carlin.

Scott Eastwood's acting credits include "Pride." He also appeared in his father's films "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Gran Torino."

Wednesday
04Mar2009

Dakota Fanning takes stage in 'Runaways' 

Dakota Fanning is ready to turn into a rocker... on the big screen, of course.

The 15-year-old actress is in talks to join Kristen Stewart in "The Runaways," the biopic of the popular girl rock band. According to Variety, Fanning would play singer Cheri Currie.

The plot will focus on the formation of The Runaways all the way to the end of their career as a group. The all-girl band came together in 1975, producing famous songs such as "Cherry Bomb" and "Queens of Noise."

Stewart is on board to play Joan Jett, who later formed the Blackhearts and returned back to fame with "I Love Rock N' Roll."

Floria Sigismondi wrote the screenplay and will direct the feature, which is scheduled to head into production sometime this year.

Fanning most recently starred in "Push" and did voice-over work for "Coraline." She has also been rumored to star in "New Moon," which recently started shooting.

Thursday
29Jan2009

'Notorious' screenwriter to develop Run-DMC biopic

Cheo Hodari Coker is planning to write the big-screen adaptation of Bill Adler's "Tougher Than Leather: The Rise of Run-DMC -- The Authorized Biography."

The film will examine the history of what is certainly one of the most influential hip-hop bands ever. The group was run by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizel. Mizel was shot to death in Queens in 2002.

Run-DMC launched a great career during the 1980s and produced hits like "It's Like That," "It's Tricky" and "My Adidas."

"It's an extraordinary rags-to-riches journey that I'm eager to bring to the screen," producer Dallas Jackson told The Hollywood Reporter.

Coker most recently co-wrote "Notorious," which focused on the life and career of Christopher Wallace, who was also known as Notorious B.I.G.

Thursday
22Jan2009

Review: "Notorious"

Seen on: January 17, 2009

The players: Director: George Tillman Jr., Writers: Cheo Hodari Coker, Reggie Rock Bythewood, Cast: Jamal Woolard, Angela Bassett, Derek Luke, Anthony Mackie, Antonique Smith

Facts of interest: George Tillman Jr. also directed "Men of Honor."

The plot: Follows the life and career of Christopher Wallace, who's also known as Notorious B.I.G.

Our quick thoughts: No dream was too big for Christopher “Biggie” Wallace (Jamal Woolard), a Brooklyn boy who abandoned his drug-dealing habits to pursue his dream of a career as a hip-hop artist. George Tillman Jr’s intriguing biopic “Notorious” recounts the short but eventful life of the influential musician, who quickly rose to fame but ended up losing his life in a tragic shooting at the young age of 24.

Click to read more ...

Thursday
15Jan2009

Here's another new image from 'Coco avant Chanel'

The folks at Vanity Fair just published another image from Anne Fontaine's upcoming Coco Chanel biopic "Coco avant Chanel," starring Audrey Tautou in the lead. Yes, the still looks great, and yes, Tautou looks nice too. Here it is:

Based on the book by Edmonde Charles-Roux's book "L'Irreguliere," the film examines the life and career of renowned fashion designer. No U.S. release date has been set, but look for it some time later this year.

Wednesday
03Dec2008

Kristen Stewart to rock in 'Runaways'

"Twilight" star Kristen Stewart is all set to rock 'n' roll as Joan Jett in "The Runaways," a big-screen biopic of the popular girl rock band.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Floria Sigismondi wrote the screenplay and will direct the feature, which is scheduled to head into production sometime next year.

The plot will focus on the formation of The Runaways all the way to the end of their career as a group. The all-girl band came together in 1975, producing famous songs such as "Cherry Bomb" and "Queens of Noise."

Jett, the lead character in the movie, later formed the Blackhearts and returned back to fame with "I Love Rock N' Roll."

Stewart is currently onscreen in the adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight." The actress already committed to shooting the sequels to that film, but the trade says "The Runaways" will not interfere with that schedule.

So, are you ready to rock with Stewart? What do you think of her portraying Jett? Does she have what it takes? Let me know below.

Friday
17Oct2008

'W.' web reviews

Oliver Stone returns to the big screen with "W.," his take on the life and career of George W. Bush. Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks, Richard Dreyfuss, Thandie Newton, Ioan Gruffudd, James Cromwell and Ellen Burstyn star. Check back for our review later today or early tomorrow. For now, let's see what online critics think about "W.":

• Josh Tyler at Cinema Blend: "'W.' is neither as shocking or vilifying as you may be expecting, but it is entertaining."

Collider's Brian Orndorf: "It's a messy film of contorted faces and stained lives, but certainly Stone deserves some credit for tackling Bush with such reserve."

• Brad Brevet at RopeOfSilicon: "More questions than answers are brought up with Oliver Stone's 'W.,; and not just in terms of the movie's content, but its creation as well.

Click to read more ...

Thursday
16Oct2008

Hervé Villechaize biopic on the way

Steve Zaillian and Mandate Pictures are getting together to produce “My Dinner With Herve,” a biopic about late French actor Hervé Villechaize, according to Variety.

Villechaize is best known for his role as Tattoo in “Fantasy Island.” He also appeared as Nick Nack in the 1974 James Bond adventure “The Man with the Golden Gun.”

Sacha Gervasi, who was the last person to interview Villechaize before the actor’s suicide in 1993, will write and direct the project.

“His is the story of a unique misfit trying to find his place in the world," Gervasi told Variety.  

Zaillian is best known for penning the script for Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List.” His writing credits also include “Gangs of New York” and “American Gangster.”

As for Gervasi, he co-wrote the screenplay for “The Terminal.” His directorial debut “Anvil! The Story of Anvil” collected the audience award for best documentary at this year’s Los Angeles Film Festival.

Monday
13Oct2008

This week in theaters: 'Max Payne,' 'Sex Drive'

Here are the wide releases for Friday, Oct. 17, 2008: "Max Payne," "W." and "Sex Drive."

MAX PAYNE

Who's in it? Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges, Chris O'Donnell, Ludacris

What is it about? Max Payne is a maverick cop--a mythic anti-hero--determined to track down those responsible for the brutal murders of his family and partner. Hell-bent on revenge, his obsessive investigation takes him on a nightmare journey into a dark underworld. As the mystery deepens, Max is forced to battle enemies beyond the natural world and face an unthinkable betrayal. 

Click to read more ...

Friday
10Oct2008

Watch a new 'W.' film clip

Here's a new clip from Oliver Stone's upcoming "W.," which chronicles the life and career of George W. Bush. The footage comes with a quick introduction by Stone. In the scene, W. (Josh Brolin) is chatting with Karl Rove (Toby Jones). "W." opens next week.

Clip comes up right after the jump.

Click to read more ...