Lionsgate boards 'LOL' with Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus will star in Lisa Azuelos' upcoming English remake of her own 2008 French hit comedy "LOL" (Laughing Out Loud), and Lionsgate gas jumoed on board to distribute the coming-of-age comedy.

Demi Moore and Ashley Greene star as well. The story essentially focuses on what happens after a mother (Moore) reads her daughter's racy journal. Cyrus plays the teenager. Azuelos also wrote the remake.

A release date for "LOL: Laughing Out Loud" has not been announced yet. The film's cast also includes Thomas Jane, Nora Dunn, Jay Hernandez, George Finn, Gina Gershon, and Adam Sevani. (Source: THR)

'The Last Song' scores decent opening

"The Last Song," the new drama based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks, debuted at the top of the North American box office Wednesday with a decent one-day gross of $5.1 million in ticket sales from 2,673 locations. The Buena Vista/Touchstone release scored an average of $1,917 per theater.

Directed by Julie Anne Robinson, the movie stars Miley Cyrus as a rebellious teenager forced to spend the summer at her dad's beach home. I know it sounds like a "Life as a House" ripoff, and in my book, the movie is terrible. Still, it looks like it's going to perform well enough this weekend.

Also doing well Wednesday was DreamWorks' "How to Train Your Dragon," which bagged another $4.5 million for a total haul of $57.8 million. Following in third place with $1.9 million was "Alice in Wonderland," which generated $1.9 million for a domestic total of $299.4 million.

Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)

Movie Review: "The Last Song"

Seen on: March 25, 2010

The players: Director: Julie Anne Robinson, Writers: Nicholas Sparks, Jeff Van Wie, Cast: Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear, Liam Hemsworth, Bobby Coleman

Facts of interest: Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks.

The plot: A young teenager must spend the summer at her dad's and falls in love with a beach boy who will bring her back to reality.

Our thoughts: I only wish “The Last Song” would be the last Nicholas Sparks adaptation to hit the big screen. Granted, I have never read any of his novels, but the quality of the recent films based on his popular work is rapidly decreasing. This latest one stars Miley Cyrus as the lead character, and to tell you the truth, I think she’s better off sticking to signing.

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Miley Cyrus talks 'Last Song' in new featurette

Love, love, love, love... it's all over Julie Anne Robinson's upcoming big-screen romance "The Last Song," which is based on Nicholas Sparks' new novel and stars Miley Cyrus in the lead role.

This film marks the first time Sparks adapted his own work for the screen. The central plot follows a rebellious teenager (Cyrus) who is forced to spend the summer with her father (Greg Kinnear).

The guy left the family years earlier, so he now tries to  take the opportunity to finally reconnect with his kids. At the same time, Cyrus' character also starts a romance with a local dude (Liam Hemsworth). Kelly Preston co-stars.

Here is a short featurette that features Sparks and the cast as they chat about the story of the film and all the love you will see unfold on the big screen when "The Last Song" opens April 2, 2010.

Anyway, look out for a lot of saccharine moments in the flick, which Sparks wrote with Cyrus in mind. I think the film features her music, but at least she'll not be getting her Hannah Montana on. Yay to that!

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Trailer and photos for Miley Cyrus' 'Last Song'

Miley Cyrus returns to the big screen in "The Last Song," and guess what: she won't show up as Hannah Montana. Trust me, it's true. A trailer for the drama is now online, and you can watch it below.

The film directed by Julie Anne Robinson is based on author Nicholas Sparks' new novel, which he wrote with Cyrus in mind. He simultaneously prepped the script for this upcoming big-screen adaptation.

The central plot of "Song" follows a rebellious teenager (Cyrus) who is forced to spend the summer with her father (Greg Kinnear). He left the family years earlier, so he now tries to reconnect with his kids.

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Miley Cyrus to star in Disney's 'Wings'

"Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus is in talks to star in Walt Disney's upcoming big-screen adaptation of Aprilynne Pike's recently published book "Wings."

The story follows 15-year-old Laurel, who grows up in a small town and spends most of her early life in solitude. Things start to change when she goes to a new high school and finds out she's actually a fairy.

No writer is attached to the project at this stage. Pike's book is the first of a planned series of four novels. Miley's mother Tish Cyrus will executive produce "Wings."

Cyrus was last seen on the big screen in "Hannah Montana: The Movie." She's currently gearing up for "The Last Song," a drama written by Nicholas Sparks. Julie Anne Robinson is directing.

Source: Variety

Greg Kinnear, Kelly Preston to sing 'Last Song'

Greg Kinnear and Kelly Preston have signed on to star alongside Miley Cyrus in Julie Anne Robinson's upcoming drama "The Last Song."

The Disney flick is based on Nicholas Sparks' upcoming novel, which he wrote with Cyrus in mind. He simultaneously prepped the script for the big-screen adaptation.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the central plot of "Song" follows a rebellious teenager (Cyrus) who is forced to spend the summer with her father (Kinnear). Only problem: he left her years earlier. Preston will play her mother.

To be honest, this story sounds a lot like "Life as a House," a tearjerker I admit I really enjoyed. Let's hope Sparks injected the script with something innovative.

Kinnear was recently seen in "Flash of Genius." As for Preston, she'll soon star in "Old Dogs." "The Last Song" is currently shooting, and a release date is set for Jan. 8, 2010.

Movie Review: “Hannah Montana: The Movie”

Seen on: April 10, 2009

The players: Director: Peter Chelsom, Writer: Daniel Berendsen, Cast: Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Emily Osment, Jason Earles

Facts of interest: Peter Chelsom directed "Shall We Dance" and "Serendipity."

The plot: Miley Cyrus takes a trip to her hometown in Tennessee after her alter ego Hannah Montana literally takes over her life and causes her to rethink what's most important in her life.

Our quick thoughts: Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) always had the best of both worlds, but in “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” Peter Chelsom’s big-screen adaptation of Walt Disney’s ultra-popular television series, she suddenly faces an enormous decision that could make her life even more chaotic than it already is.

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'Hannah Montana: The Movie' web reviews

Hannah Montana invades the big screen in Peter Chelsom's "Hannah Montana: The Movie," and this time Miley Stewart returns to her hometown to rediscover herself. Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus star, and here's what the Web's critics think:

• Cinematical's Nick Schager: "Director Chelsom dutifully pushes tween girl buttons at every turn – some rainbow imagery here, a song about butterflies there – and fans will undoubtedly allow themselves to be manipulated by such maneuvers."

• Katey Rich at Cinema Blend: "Miley Cyrus is growing up fast, along with her diehard fans, and in many ways seems ready to leave behind the cartoony world of Hannah Montana. She spends the movie vacillating between goofy girl and self-possessed young lady, and other girls going through the same transition will hopefully feel a pang of recognition."

• Fred Topel at Canmag: "'Hannah Montana: The Movie' is harmless. It’s contagiously happy so even if you see right through it, which you can, it’s not worth it."

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This week's new movie releases - April 10, 2009

This week, we're looking at three wide releases: Jody Hill's comedy "Observe and Report" with Seth Rogen and Anna Faris, Peter Chelsom's "Hannah Montana: The Movie" with Miley Cyrus, and James Wong's "Dragonball Evolution" with Justin Chatwin:

OBSERVE AND REPORT

Synopsis: At the Forest Ridge Mall, head of security Ronnie Barnhardt patrols his jurisdiction with an iron fist, combating skateboarders, shoplifters and the occasional unruly customer while dreaming of the day when he can swap his flashlight for a badge and a gun. His delusions of grandeur are put to the test when the mall is struck by a flasher.

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