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Monday

19Oct2009

Teaser for 'Nanny McPhee' sequel hits

Monday, October 19, 2009 at 10:14PM | By

A first teaser trailer for Susanna White's upcoming sequel "Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang" has debuted on the Web earlier today, and you can check it out after the jump. It's short, so don't expect much.

In the follow-up to the 2005 family flick, Emma Thompson returns as the strict nanny who uses magic to get energetic kids under control and battle a villain while she's at it. The film opens in 2010.

As you can see below, the teaser is short and doesn't give us much story. It does gives us flying pigs though, and to be honest, that's not exactly stunning. I hope the "Big Bang" has more in store for us.

That said, count me among those who highly enjoyed the first film. It was goofy and fun, heartfelt and innovative, and it's something I can easily watch again. Plus, Emma Thompson is great, as usual.

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Saturday

11Apr2009

Daily news dose: 'Year One' gets PG-13; Neeson, Fiennes join 'Clash of the Titans'

Saturday, April 11, 2009 at 8:23AM | By

Here's your dose of film news for April 11, 2009:

• Harold Ramis' upcoming comedy "Year One" finally received a PG-13 rating following some cuts, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The film stars Michael Cera and Jack Black as lazy hunter-gatherers banished from their village. I saw the trailer a couple of times and never laughed once, so I will walk into this one with the lowest possible expectations. It looks terrible.

• Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes are set to star in Louis Leterrier's "Clash of the Titans." Neeson plays Zeus, father of Perseus (Sam Worthington), while Fiennes is on board to portray Hades. Mads Mikkelsen, Gemma Arterton and Alexa Davalos co-star. Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay wrote the script. (The Hollywood Reporter)

• That Sony is developing "Venom" is not exactly news, but here's the current project status: Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have turned in a first draft and are waiting for a response. Reese said, "Then they had specific rules about the villain and the backstory and stuff like that, so there were certain things they wanted us... certain parameters they gave us." (ComingSoon)

• During his promotion tour for Joe Wright's upcoming "The Soloist," Robert Downey Jr. also spoke a bit about "Sherlock Holmes," due in theaters this December. Besides his desire for a PG-13 rating, the actor also said he thinks they're going to make a sequel if the first one scores. Read more at MTV.

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Friday

06Feb2009

Daily news dose: Mickey Rourke boards 'St. Vincent,' Fiennes makes directorial debut

Friday, February 6, 2009 at 7:28PM | By

Here's your dose of daily film news for Feb. 6, 2009:

• Mickey Rourke is set to star in Walter Hill's thriller "St. Vincent," about a hit man who returns to the Big Apple to finish a failed attempt to murder an informant. Cameron Young wrote the screenplay. Hill also directed the excellent television western "Broken Trail." (Variety)

• Ralph Fiennes will make his debut as director with "Coriolanus," the big-screen adaptation of William Shakespeare's Roman tragedy. According to Variety, Fiennes will also play the "contemptuous soldier spurred on by his ambitious mother to run for the Roman Senate, which ultimately leads to his downfall."

• Camilla Belle, Peter O'Toole, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Al Pacino and Jessica Lange are set to star in Alejandro Agresti's "Mary, Mother of Christ." Belle will play Mary, and Meyers is set for the roles of Gabriel and Lucifer. Pacino plays Herod, with Lange starring as Anna the Prophetess (Variety)

• Timothy Hutton is the latest to join Roman Polanski's upcoming flick "The Ghost." The film focuses on a ghostwriter who’s under pressure to finish the memoir of a former prime minister. Hutton plays the latter's American lawyer. Also starring are Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Tom Wilkinson, James Belushi and Kim Cattrall. (The Hollywood Reporter)

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Saturday

01Nov2008

Trailer radar: ‘The Reader’

Saturday, November 1, 2008 at 8:09AM | By

What better way to start a Saturday morning with a fantastic trailer? TWC released the first trailer for Stephen Daldry’s upcoming drama “The Reader,” which stars Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Alexandra Maria Lara, Volker Bruch and Bruno Ganz. The film is based on the book by Bernhard Schlink.

Here’s the official synopsis: Michael Berg is 15 when he begins a long, obsessive affair with Hanna, an enigmatic older woman. He never learns very much about her, and when she disappears one day, he expects never to see her again. But to his horror he discovers that she is a defendant in a Nazi war crimes trial and it soon becomes clear that she is guilty of an unspeakable crime.

The footage after the jump is incredibly powerful and emotional, promising strong performances and an intriguing story. Plus, listen to the fantastic piece of musical excellence in the background. “The Reader” opens Dec. 10, 2008.

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Monday

06Oct2008

First still from ‘The Reader’ hits!

Monday, October 6, 2008 at 6:50AM | By

Awards Daily recently posted the very first still from Stephen Daldry’s “The Reader,” a drama starring Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Alexandra Maria Lara, Volker Bruch and Bruno Ganz. The film, based on the book by Bernhard Schlink, opens in theaters Dec. 12. 2008.

Synopsis: Michael Berg is 15 when he begins a long, obsessive affair with Hanna, an enigmatic older woman. He never learns very much about her, and when she disappears one day, he expects never to see her again. But to his horror he discovers that she is a defendant in a Nazi war crimes trial and it soon becomes clear that she is guilty of an unspeakable crime.

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Wednesday

17Sep2008

Ralph Fiennes in the Los Angeles Times

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 5:22PM | By

Sam Adams in the Los Angeles Times on Ralph Fiennes and his role in Saul Dibb's "The Duchess," which chronicles the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, duchess of Devonshire (played by Keira Knightley).

"In 'The Duchess,' Fiennes plays William Cavendish, the duke of Devonshire, a brusque and often cruel man who relished the exercise of power but not the politicking that came with it."

Read the entire article here.

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Friday

05Sep2008

'The Hurt Locker' premieres at Venice

Friday, September 5, 2008 at 10:11PM | By

After a six-year absence from the big screen, Kathryn Bigelow returns with "The Hurt Locker," a drama about the dangerous work of an elite Army bomb squad in Iraq. Starring Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Guy Pearce, Sam Reford and Jeremy Renner, the film premiered at the Venice Film Festival this week. Here's what the press is saying about the film:

• Shane Danielsen at Times Online: "Like the men it depicts, 'The Hurt Locker' never rises above its own limitations."

• Deborah Young at The Hollywood Reporter: "For a film purporting to be about soldiers' psychology, 'The Hurt Locker' makes little in-depth analysis of its characters."

• Variety's Derek Elley: "The major problem with the script by journalist Mark Boal, who was embedded with a bomb squad in Baghdad four years ago, is that it's unclear where the drama in 'Locker' really lies."

• Richard Corliss at Time: "The appearances by some familiar faces — Fiennes, Guy Pearce, David Morse — are all too brief."

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Tuesday

29Jul2008

New ‘Harry Potter’ stills surface online!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at 3:08PM | By

In case you don’t know it yet, the first real teaser for David Yates’ “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” will premiere tonight on AOL (we’ll post it as soon as it is available). Meanwhile, USA Today posted two new screenshots from the 6th installment in the popular series.

In the picture above, you get a first glimpse at the young Tom Riddle, who later turns into Harry Potter’s enemy Lord Voldemort. Riddle is played by Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, Ralph Fiennes’ nephew. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson all return to reprise their roles as lead characters. Click here to see the second image over at USA Today.

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