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Greene, Panettiere circle 'Scream 4'

Ashley Greene has been offered the lead role in Scream 4, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Greene, who recently re-negotiated a deal to return to the Twilight series in Breaking Dawn, is being lined up to play Jill, the cousin of Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott and the heroine of Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson's new Scream trilogy.

Further cast members are expected to be added shortly, with Lake Bell (It's Complicated) negotiating for the role of a police officer who knew Sidney from high school and Heroes's Hayden Panettiere and Rory Culkin expected to join as Jill's best friend and love interest respectively.

Craven and Williamson are reportedly not sending the Scream 4 script out to actors and agents in order to keep the plot under wraps.

Campbell, David Arquette and Courteney Cox, the leading cast members of the first three Scream horrors, are also confirmed to be returning for the latest movie.

The Dimension Films project is slated to start shooting this July in Michigan.

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Gary Oldman for 'Kung Fu Panda' sequel

Gary Oldman has reportedly joined the voice cast of the upcoming Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom.

The Dark Knight star is to voice a character called Peacock who helps panda Po (returning star Jack Black) locate a group of bandits.

Dustin Hoffman is expected to return for the sequel, which will also feature the voices of Angelina Jolie, David Cross, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu and James Hong.

The follow-up, directed by Jennifer Yuh, is scheduled to arrive in US cinemas on June 3

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Katie Cassidy for 'Transformers 3'?

Katie Cassidy is reportedly in talks to star in Transformers 3.

The Melrose Place star is the front-runner in a list of potential actresses to replace Megan Fox as Shia LaBeouf's love interest in the sequel, reports Showbiz Spy.

"[Director] Michael [Bay] worked with Katie on A Nightmare On Elm Street and he sees her as the perfect choice," said a source.

The insider added: "Megan was unknown when she was cast in the first Transformers and Katie is in that same mould. She even looks a little like Megan - only blonde."

It was reported on Thursday that Gemma Arterton was being lined up to replace Fox.

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Screenwriter hired for 'MacGyver' movie

New Line Cinema has reportedly hired a screenwriter for the upcoming MacGyver movie.

Bangkok Dangerous scribe Jason Richman has been tapped to pen the big screen update of the 1980s action-adventure show.

The original MacGyver starred Richard Dean Anderson as a resourceful secret agent who could escape any dangerous situation with his own unique science-based creativity.

Raffaella De Laurentiis, Martha De Laurentiis and series creator Lee Zlotoff are producing the film.

MacGyver is spoofed in the Saturday Night Live sketch-turned-feature film MacGruber, opening today in US cinemas.

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Tisdale teases cameo in 'HSM' spinoff

Ashley Tisdale has reportedly teased that fans can expect a "special cameo" in her upcoming High School Musical spinoff.

It was recently announced that the actress will reprise the role of Sharpay Evans for a Disney Channel movie that sees her character relocating to New York after being discovered by a talent agent.

Speaking to MTV News at yesterday's CW upfront, she said: "We definitely do have a special cameo. We just don't know which character it is. I do. I just can't tell you. It's a secret!"

She continued to say that the new movie "shows Sharpay in a totally different light", explaining: "Everyone's in college. She's in New York City trying to fulfill her dreams on Broadway."

Tisdale - who can be seen in The CW's new drama Hellcats from this fall - will also serve as executive producer on the project, which is scheduled to premiere on the Disney Channel next summer.

Her former High School Musical co-star Vanessa Hudgens (Gabriella) recently said that she is "stoked" for Tisdale and predicted that the spinoff will be "amazing".

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rickman

Friday, May 21, 2010



By MARK SCHILLING
Masahiro Kobayashi is a unique figure in the Japanese film business. His knotty, idiosyncratic films, starting with the 1996 film "Closing Time," have never made much at the box office in Japan, though they have become favorites of foreign festival programmers. Four have screened at Cannes, including "Bashing" (2005), a grim drama of alienation and exclusion that was selected for the competition.

Haru tono tabi (Travels with Haru)        Rating: (4 out of 5)
   

Hokkaido blues: Tatsuya Nakadai (right) stars as Tadao, a retired fisherman in Hokkaido searching for a new home so that his granddaughter Haru (Eri Tokunaga) can begin a new life in Tokyo. © 2010 HARU'S JOURNEY FILM PARTNERS
Director: Masahiro Kobayashi
Running time: 134 minutes
Language: Japanese
Opens May 22, 2010
[See Japan Times movie listing]
That's four more invitations than most Japanese directors — including those higher up on the local critical pecking order — get in a lifetime, stirring up insinuations that Kobayashi, whose long association with France includes study of the language, must have an "in."

Meanwhile, many foreign Asian cinephiles — from fans of zany pop entertainment to appreciators of quiet Ozu-esque art films — don't quite know what to make of Kobayashi's oeuvre, which often takes its cues from the more uncompromising European and Asian auteurs and often features blunt, even violent, confrontations and revelations, not gentle epiphanies.

I'm a Kobayashi fan, though I can't say "enjoyment" is how I'd usually describe the experience of watching his films. Instead, I like his angle of vision, which can illuminate dark, secret corners of the heart with a glare fierce and strange.

In his new film, "Haru tono Tabi (Travels with Haru)" Kobayashi is attempting something in a more conventionally humanistic vein. One inspiration was the 1999 Zhang Yimou film "Ano Ko o Sagashite" ("Not One Less") others were such Japanese classics as "Tokyo Monogatari" ("Tokyo Story" 1953) and "Narayama Bushiko" ("Ballad of Narayama" 1983). This approach is reflected in his casting of Tatsuya Nakadai, the 77-year-old icon whose work with the greats of Japanese films, including Akira Kurosawa, Mikio Naruse and Kon Ichikawa, is known worldwide.

rickman

Friday, May 21, 2010



By KAORI SHOJI
"There are those who go to war and those who are left behind, with each experiencing a different kind of hell." This is a translation of an excerpt from a letter found among the possessions of a Nagasaki woman widowed when her husband was killed in action during World War II. Though it was displayed as part of a memorial exhibition, there was no mention of what had happened to the woman or whether she survived into the postwar years.

Brothers        Rating: (4 out of 5)
   

Coming home: Tobey Maguire stars as Sam with Natalie Portman as his wife, Grace, in "Brothers." © 2009 BROTHERS PRODUCTION, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Director: Jim Sheridan
Running time: 105 minutes
Language: English
Opens June 5, 2010
[See Japan Times movie listing]
Most likely she experienced her share of hardship and hunger, as did most of the Japanese population. The government's method of dealing with such people was to try and make them understand that their suffering was merely a fraction of the agonies endured by the nation's soldiers. Based on this logic, it was only right that the women and their daughters, whose menfolk had been taken away, were forced into labor at munitions factories and that entire cities should subsist on water and ground-up tree roots. As the letter stated, war engendered a kind of hell, both on the front lines and back home.

There's a different kind of wartime reality sketched out in "Brothers," which traces the disintegration of a family following the absence of the father, a soldier reportedly killed in Afghanistan. The warzone scenes are hellish, a stark contrast to the relatively comfortable lives of American suburbia. There's a yawning gulf between the father's sand-and-rubble-based combat and the lives of his family members, who find it easier to leave what he experiences undiscussed.

Directed by Jim Sheridan, "Brothers" is a powerful movie but occasionally stiff and disjointed, mirroring the bewilderment, sadness and alienation felt by each of its characters. It's by no means an easy or palatable tale, as Sheridan guides the characters relentlessly through each stage of their pain.

"Brothers" is a remake of a similarly titled film by Denmark's Susanne Bier, in which a husband/father is reported as having been killed in action only to be miraculously returned to his kin. Once home, however, the loving man his family once knew is gone, replaced by a morose and suspicious individual unable to shake off memories of war and convinced that his wife and brother are having a torrid affair.

Sheridan's "Brothers" retreads this storyline, but the sexual tension between the wife, husband and brother — so crucial in Bier's tale — is significantly toned down. This is a broader tale of return and readjustment — issues that are a consequence of war conflict that few war movies have the patience (or guts) to deal with.

The story primarily revolves around Sam (Tobey Maguire), an army captain who married his high school sweetheart, Grace (Natalie Portman), and who still lives in the same army-focused town where he grew up. He is decent and self-disciplined, in contrast to his kid brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), the black sheep of the family who has just been released from prison. Everyone, including the brothers' straight-laced dad (Sam Shepherd), regards Tommy with a cold wariness. It is only Sam who shows compassion for his younger sibling and tries to help him get back on a stable footing.

rickman

Friday, May 21, 2010


By GIOVANNI FAZIO
"Legion" may not be a great film, but if you wanted to pick one film that was symptomatic of America in the early 21st century, this is it: a movie about angels . . . with machine guns.

Legion        Rating: (2 out of 5)
   

An angel dares: Paul Bettany stars as Michael, an angel who defies God to save mankind in "Legion."
Director: Scott Stewart
Running time: 100 minutes
Language: English
Opens May 22, 2010
[See Japan Times movie listing]
Yeah, every other Hollywood movie these days is about exploding fireballs and cool acrobatic ass-kicking — even, sigh, "Alice in Wonderland" — but in a film about angels? It's impossible to overemphasize what a departure this is: From "It's A Wonderful Life" to "What Dreams May Come" and "Angels in the Outfield" to "City of Angels," angels have always been benevolent figures who offer compassion and guidance. (The sole exception being Christopher Walken in 1995's "The Prophecy.") "Legion" is the first time angels have come to Earth to coach humans in how to lock 'n' load automatic weapons, or slash people open with their razor-sharp wings and chain-saw maces.

"Legion" is a movie about being so sure that you're right that even God is wrong; it's a movie where scripture is forced to fit the message, not the other way around, and where metaphysical questions of mankind's role on Earth and the divine plan are settled through firepower and brute force. Like I said, it's a movie about America in 2010.

The film's story begins in a small, hard-luck diner called "Paradise Falls" on the edge of the Mojave Desert. There we meet a heavily pregnant waitress at the diner named Charlie (Adrianne Palicki), the diner's gruff owner Bob (Dennis Quaid) and his son Jeep (Lucas Black), a rather insecure young man who pines after Charlie even though he is not her child's father. Somewhere on the left coast, a fallen angel, Michael (Paul Bettany), cuts off his wings and stocks up on automatic weapons.

When TV, cell-phone and radio reception go out at the diner, they suspect they have a problem; when one customer, a little old lady with a walker, takes a bite out of someone's neck and then goes scuttling up the walls, they know they do. Soon Michael drives up, starts passing out weapons and tells everyone to prepare for the worst. God, he says, has given up on mankind and unleashed a force to exterminate them all, especially Charlie's unborn child, who — for reasons never clearly explained — is mankind's last hope. Michael has chosen to disobey God's orders because he doesn't want to be a "good German," and he's convinced God will eventually see the light, so to speak.

rickman

Friday, May 21, 2010


Back to basics: A scene from Masahiro Kobayashi's family-drama-cum-road-movie, "Haru tono Tabi" © 2010 HARU'S JOURNEY FILM PARTNERS
RE:VIEW FILM

Masahiro Kobayashi talks about his latest film, a Japanese family drama, and about the 'bashing' at home that has followed his remarkable string of successes abroad

By MARK SCHILLING
Special to The Japan Times
It's sad but true that Japanese directors with big reputations abroad are often odd men (or women) out back home.


Speaking out: Masahiro Kobayashi pictured during his recent JT interview. YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTO
Juzo Itami won the hearts of Western audiences with his 1985 foodie comedy "Tampopo," but in the Japanese film industry he was considered an outsider from the world of television, where he had won fame as an actor and chat-show personality.

Shinya Tsukamoto became a cult hero worldwide for his ultraviolent cyberpunk fantasies, beginning with his 1989 breakout "Tetsuo" ("Tetsuo the Iron Man"). In Japan, though, he often struggled to get his films screened, while many of his industry peers regarded them as little more than freak shows.

Itami and Tsukamoto told me the above themselves; I am assuming they were being truthful.

Nonetheless, Masahiro Kobayashi's case is among the more extreme.

Like many Japanese directors of his baby-boomer generation, he fell in love with European movies at a young age. After failing as a singer-songwriter and quitting his job as a postal worker, at age 28 Kobayashi journeyed to France to meet his idol, Francois Truffaut — and ask him if he could be his assistant.

His quest ended in failure (he couldn't bring himself to push the doorbell to Truffaut's office), but he later parlayed his passion for films into a successful career as a scriptwriter.

Not satisfied with grinding out scripts for TV and the made-in-Japan variety of soft porn known as pinku eiga (pink films), Kobayashi directed his first feature, "Closing Time," at age 42. Deeply influenced by his beloved European auteurs, Kobayashi's early films were barely released in Japan, but three in a row, beginning with 1999's "Bootleg Film," were screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

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Parker 'wants to play teen Carrie'

Sarah Jessica Parker has said that with new film technology, she could play Carrie Bradshaw in a possible Sex And The City prequel.

The actress has insisted that special effects could make it possible to play the journalist as a teenager, as depicted in creator Candace Bushnell's latest book The Carrie Diaries.

The 45-year-old told E! Online: "Who do I want to play teenage Carrie? I don't know. Maybe they should use old footage of me. And in this new age of Avatar, what about a new 17-year-old S.J.?"

Parker, who starred as Patty Greene in the US TV series Square Pegs in the early '80s, has suggested that her character was a believable portrayal of the young Carrie.

She added: "That might have been Carrie in high school."

In 2008, creator Bushnell suggested that Miley Cyrus play the role of a young Bradshaw in a film adaptation of her prequel series.

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Chad St John pens 'Sgt Rock' movie

Chad St John will pen the movie adaptation of DC Comics' Sgt Rock.

The Four Kings of Ruin director is writing the script for Warner Bros, reports Deadline.

Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert's fictional World War II officer first appeared in 1959.

Producer Joel Silver has previously said that the film will be set in the future.

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Huntington-Whiteley for 'Transformers 3'?

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is reportedly in talks to replace Megan Fox in Transformers 3.

According to Geek Week, sources claim that the Victoria's Secret model has been tapped to co-star in the upcoming action sequel.

The possible role would mark Huntington-Whiteley's big screen acting debut.

Reports citing Katie Cassidy and Gemma Arterton as Fox's replacement in the Michael Bay-directed movie have previously surfaced following Fox's exit from the series.

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Orlando Bloom boards 'Three Musketeers'

Orlando Bloom and James Corden have signed to co-star in the upcoming 3D Three Musketeers movie.

Resident Evil helmer Paul WS Anderson will direct the pair in the project, reports Variety.

Bloom will play the Duke of Buckingham. Corden will portray Planchet, the servant.

Summit Entertainment plans to release the film in US cinemas in the summer of 2011.

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Kreuk, Castle-Hughes for 'Vampire'

Kristin Kreuk, Keisha Castle-Hughes and Rachael Leigh Cook have signed to star in upcoming horror film Vampire.

According to Screen Daily, Japanese director Shunji Iwai is helming the project. Vampire will mark his first English language film.

The movie centres on a vampire schoolteacher who falls in love with suicidal students and then kills them.

The film is now shooting in Vancouver.

Kreuk is known for playing Lana Lang on The CW's Smallville. Castle-Hughes recently appeared in Legend of the Seeker, while Cook co-stars in USA's Psych

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Cooper for 'Captain America's Howard Stark

Dominic Cooper will play Iron Man's father Howard Stark in Captain America, reports Salon.

The British actor, who can next be seen opposite Gemma Arterton in Tamara Drewe, will play a younger version of the character portrayed by Mad Men's John Slattery in Iron Man 2.

Cooper joins Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Toby Jones, Samuel L. Jackson and Sebastian Stan in the cast of the Marvel Comics blockbuster.

Captain America: The First Avenger will film in the UK this summer under the direction of Joe Johnston. A July 22, 2011 release has already been confirmed

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Nina Dobrev joins thriller 'Deathgames'

Nina Dobrev has signed to co-star in upcoming action thriller Death Games.

The Vampire Diaries actor joins Kellan Lutz, Samuel L. Jackson and Lost actor Daniel Dae Kim in the film, directed by Jonah Loop.

James Remar and Derek Mears have also boarded the cast, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The story centres on a young man (Lutz) who is forced to compete against other men in a modern gladiator arena after being kidnapped by a sadistic man (Jackson).

Dobrev will play Lutz's wife.

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Spanish director boards 'Hitman 2'

Spanish filmmaker Daniel Benmayor has signed to direct Hitman 2.

According to Deadline, Alex Young and Chuck Gordon are producing the sequel to the 2007 video game adaptation.

Justified actor Timothy Olyphant starred in the original movie. His return for the sequel has not been announced.

The 20th Century Fox project is scheduled to begin production this autumn.

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Legendary developing 'Mass Effect' movie

Legendary Pictures is developing a movie based on Electronic Arts and Bioware's video game Mass Effect, the studio has announced.

Legendary has acquired theatrical feature film rights to the popular game franchise, according to a statement.

The studio is in negotiations with I Am Legend and Thor producer Mark Protosevich to pen the screenplay.

Warner Bros. will distribute the upcoming film worldwide.

Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni will produce along with Avi and Ari Arad.

The science fiction game takes place in 2183 and follows a team battling an alien race that returns to the galaxy every 50,000 years to wipe out all organic life.

“Mass Effect is a tremendous property ripe for translation to the big screen,” said Legendary Pictures CEO Thomas Tull.

Production details have yet to be announced.

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Michael Bay producing 'Gideon's Sword

Michael Bay has signed to produce an adaptation of children's novel Gideon's Sword.

According to Variety, Paramount has purchased the film rights to the book by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

The novel, which is scheduled for an early 2011 release, centres on investigator Gideon Crew, a character spun off from Preston and Child's Agent Pendergast book series.

The first Pendergast book was the basis for the 1997 movie The Relic.

Production details for the movie have yet to be announced.

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Bruckheimer, Disney team for 'Lightspeed'

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Walt Disney Pictures have procured the script for space adventure Lightspeed.

According to Variety, Bruckheimer and Disney paid $3.5m (£2.4m) for the screenplay by Déjà Vu writers Terry Rossio and Bill Marsilii.

The story follows a young pilot on the Earth Interstellar Racing Team who leads his ship on a dangerous outer space adventure.

Bruckheimer reportedly hopes to develop the film as a live-action 3D feature.

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