New Green Lantern character posters! (+first look at Mark Strong as Sinestro)

Here are four character posters for the new Green Lantern film, which for some reason weren't at Comic-Con?

Chris Evans: Joss Whedon is perfect for "Avengers"

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Chris Evans had so many nice things to say about Joss Whedon at Comic Con last night.

"It seems like he knows the world incredibly well. It seems like this world respects him back. It seems like he's the guy for the job," Evans said of the director. "He did a pass on the 'Captain America' script, and it was just phenomenal. All the little tweaks he made, he really knows storytelling; he really knows dialogue and script writing, and that's always a comforting thing."

Garrett Hedlund at Comic Con

Garrett will play Sam Flynn in the new movie "Tron Legacy".

Karl Urban Talks About Star Trek in Comic-Con 2010 San Diego

As Comic-Con continues, Star Trek actors speak up about the sequel due out in 2012, with Karl Urban being the latest to offer his thoughts on progress of the film.
The rumor that Karl Urban will be Judge Dredd hit the web this week ahead of Comic-Con and Collider got the Dredd’ed details straight from Karl Urban himself. When asked about Judge Dredd, Urban confirmed that he was offered the part by director Pete Travis and is currently in talks to work out a deal. Karl Urban also revealed that Judge Dredd will begin shooting in South Africa in October or November and that he’d be wearing the Dredd mask for the entire film.

Shooting for Star Trek XII will “most likely happen mid next year,” said Urban. “May or June next year.” This contrasts with what Bruce Greenwood said recently about filming beginning in January.

Source: techpinger

Wentworth Miller on How He Became Hollywood’s Hottest Secret Screenwriter

Wentworth Miller spent all four years of his stint on Prison Break convincing himself he wasn’t a writer, but after the show wrapped, he spent four weeks writing the script Stoker — a drama about a young girl and her mysterious, potentially murderous uncle — and managed to attach A-list talent like Jodie Foster and Carey Mulligan. At Comic-Con, he told Movieline how it happened (and which Alfred Hitchcock movie Stoker is an homage to).



Now, you sent these scripts out under a pseudonym, right?
I did, I did. That wasn’t about protecting my identity — I just wanted the scripts to sink or swim on their own. I thought seeing my name on the cover might create static of some kind, maybe positive, maybe negative, but it just wasn’t something I wanted to factor into the equation. I wanted them to stand on their own two feet.

So you’ve got Stoker, but you’ve also written a prequel to it?
There’s a prequel called Uncle Charlie.

Is that a tip of a hat to Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt?
Absolutely. There’s a leaping-off point in Stoker that was directly inspired by Shadow of a Doubt. Also, the character name is Uncle Charlie and the prequel’s called Uncle Charlie, so that’s a tip of the hat.

I know Jodie Foster and Carey Mulligan are attached, but is there a male lead attached?
You know, I wish I could give you all kinds of details. It’s still in development. I have to say that when I hear some of these names, it’s pretty exciting. There’s incredibly talented people taking an active interest, so I’m very hopeful that it’s going to come together in a powerful way.

You won’t be acting in the film. Was that by design?
You know, writing it was probably the most creatively satisfying experience I’ve had, hands down, on a personal level. Regardless of where these two scripts go, in a way, it was the main event for me to be putting pen to paper, or fingertips to keyboard, as it were. As soon as I was done with both scripts, I really just wanted to hand them off to someone else and say, “See you at the premiere,” then show up and get my big bucket of popcorn and watch someone else’s interpretation of what I’ve laid out on the page.

You play Chris Redfield in Resident Evil: Afterlife. How different is your movie character from the one in the video game? Doesn’t the video game Chris have biceps the size of his head?
[Laughs] Well, yeah, that’s the first difference. You know, in preparing for the role, I felt the need to respect what was already out there, in terms of the video game anthology. I did my research online on websites and blogs to find out what the conversation was about this character and what the expectations might be, but then I had to balance that with who I am as an actor and inherently bring to the table. And, who is the Chris Redfield that Paul [W.S. Anderson, the director] established in this movie? it’s very specific to the film adaptation of Resident Evil, rather than the video game. I’d like to think I did my best.

When you went to those sites to look at reaction to the character, were you also reading reactions to you being cast as the character?
I didn’t read those reactions. I felt like I already knew what they were gonna be. I imagine that the reception will be across the board, and that’s only natural when you’re invested in a story or a certain character. [The fans] invest deeply, so they care when they finally see that character onscreen. They have opinions, and that’s to be expected.

There was a rumor at one point that you were attached to Gore Verbinski’s adaptation of another video game, Bioshock…
That was a rumor that showed up one day and took a while to go away. Yeah, no connection to that.

A detailed description of the Deathly Hallows Comic-Con footage

Harry Potter's own Draco Malfoy, Tom Felton, made an appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con today to introduce footage for the upcoming "Deathly Hallows" films, being released in November and July 2011, respectively. The footage shared played like an extended trailer for the pair of movies and opened with a mirror shard falling to the ground following by a profiled shot of Harry. Voice-over during the shots is Voldemort speaking about the people who have died and those who have suffered as a result of Harry. During the speech, shots of Dumbledore and others. The voice-over closes with Voldemort saying that he will "punish every last man, woman and child that tries to conceal you from me."

It switches to the familar scene in the forest with Voldemort and all of the Death Eaters when Harry arrives... and Voldemort's now famous line - "Harry Potter. The boy who lived, come to die..." Then you see a bit of the wand duel in the forest. The scene then shifts to fast cuts that include dragons, the trip through Gringotts... and what looked like several Harry Potters standing with each other and various scenes of the epic final battle.

Next is a voice over from property newcomer Bill Nighy playing new Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour who promises his loyals that "Your Ministry remains strong!"

Flash to a scene in a diner with the famous three - Harry, Hermione and Ron - discussing their next moves when they draw wands to defend themselves against an attack from a pair of other diner patrons.

Next, a scene at a long table with the Death Eaters sitting around it and Voldemort sitting at the head. Snape is there, giving Voldemort details of the whereabouts of Harry. Voldemort then reminds the group that he 'must be the one to kill Harry Potter.'

Fast cuts lead to the famous three, looking haggard and in hiding. Ron is yelling at Harry. Ron has been listening to the radio every night to make sure he doesn't hear that any of his family has died in the war. Harry barks back "Don't you think I've been listening too!' Ron nastily reminds Harry that his family is already dead and the two begin to fight.

More fast action cuts which included a voice over about the demise of Minster of Magic. Then wand play with Bellatrix Lestrange... more fighting in the woods... in the sky on brooms and a shot of Harry's end fight with Voldemort.

Zack Snyder: 'Sucker Punch' Is 'Not Going To Be In 3-D'!!

Vanessa Hudgens thinks "Sucker Punch" would be "badass" in 3-D, and director Zack Snyder may agree with her, but he's now adamant that a 3-D release for the film just isn't going to happen.

"It's not going to be in 3-D," Snyder told MTV News. "I wanted it to be in 3-D, and we talked a lot about it, and then we looked at a lot of tests. We looked at a lot of potential vendors that could turn the movie into 3-D, and in the end I just felt like it wasn't conceived in 3-D like "Guardians" — because I have made a movie, "Legend of the Guardians," which is conceived in 3-D, and it's cool in 3-D."



Snyder would rather not do 3-D at all than covert an entirely 2-D film to the format, though he might go back and do things differently from the beginning if he had the chance.

"Maybe the problem was because I'd been working on that for two years, by the time now we rolled around and made it — early on we were like, 'Oh we can just do a conversion. It's no big deal,' and now I'm broken for 3-D," he explained. "It's like I've been loved by 3-D. It's like you can't go back."

Source: MTV

Ryan Reynolds talks about the "Green Lantern" Custome

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

During the Warner Bros. panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday (July 24), fans got the first glimpses of footage from "Green Lantern." But there was one big aspect of the film missing: the title character's suit. It wasn't a complete mystery, though, as it had already been as part of the magazine's Comic-Con sneak preview -- and its look has already sparked some unrest among fans.

Ryan Reynolds, who plays the dual role of Hal Jordan and the flick's title character, spoke with MTV News about the controversy -- and he said that he's glad not everyone is satisfied. "There has to be a little healthy debate about it. That's important," he said. "If it were just slanted one way or the other, I don't think it would be that satisfying."

The suit was created solely using CGI, and it has lines along it that are supposed to recreate the musculature possessed by Jordan. It does not have the white gloves that were a part of the Green Lantern's outfit in comics and cartoons.

"Truthfully, we've only seen a tiny glimpse of the suit," Reynolds noted. "We haven't seen it in motion, and we haven't seen the full suit as well."

He also was a fan of ditching the gloves. "The white gloves aren't there, and I think that's fine because, specifically, they're lame," he said. "But everything else is going to be there. I think the fanboys and the people that are new to the character are going to love it."

Source: MTV

Joss Whedon cried in Comic Con!

As footage rolled of the Avengers' logo, a big "A," we heard Samuel L. Jackson's voice: "Super heroes came together," he bellowed, "the day the Avengers were formed."

Then they came out one by one.

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson. Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Chris Evans as Captain America. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye. Mark Ruffallo as The Hulk. Joss Whedon as The Director.

Downey calls this film more ambitious than Inception.

Joss Whedon had tears in his eyes. He said, "I had a dream all my life and it wasn't this good." And 6500 hundred people in Hall H screamed from the very depths of their multiverse-loving souls.

The Avengers had assembled. And just like that they were gone. After seeing the footage of Captain America and Thor they had a job to do: to prepare to shoot the greatest comic book movie in the history of time.

DiCaprio Passed On Spider-Man, Star Wars, And Batman!

From the would have could have might have department comes a look back at what DiCaprio’s career might have been. Since he’s already been in two of the year’s best movies in Shutter Island and Inception, I think it’s safe to assume that what it might have been is not as good.

But the website Shortlist got Leo to talk about the roles he’s turned down over the year’s, and since he’s Leo they’ve been big ones. According to Leo he met with Schumacher for Robin in Batman Forever. That role went to Chris O’Donnell who is presumably sleeping on the street somewhere right now. He was in talks to play Anakin in the Star Wars prequels and while you might think he’d have been better than Hayden Christensen, remember that Lucas has a talent for making great actors seem awful. Just look at what he did to Natalie Portman. They talked to him about playing Spider-Man before the part went to Tobey Maguire. Leo said no thanks to that one too.

I think it’s safe to say that DiCaprio has a knack for picking good projects. If he’s in it, it’s almost always good. Of those three only Spider-Man wasn’t an utter disaster, though I think Spidey might have been if Leo played Peter Parker. He’s a great actor, but he’s not a fit for the awkward, geeky, teenager role. Stick with the edgy, challenging, artistically satisfying stuff Leo; it’s working for you.


Credit: cinemablend

Nielsen: Overnight Masters ratings up 50 percent

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NEW YORK – First indications are that Tiger Woods' return has increased television viewership of the Masters by 50 percent.

The Nielsen Co. said that ESPN's coverage of the Masters' first round on Thursday had a 3.6 rating in an overnight measurement of the nation's biggest markets. That's 50 percent more than the similar measurement for last year's opening day, and 80 percent more than it was in 2008.

The company is expected to release viewership estimates accounting for all of the country later on Friday.

ESPN covered Woods' first tee shot live within "SportsCenter" more than two hours before regular coverage started on Thursday. Nielsen said its audience was double what it gets on a typical Thursday afternoon. But the .8 rating was much smaller than it got later in the afternoon.

'Trek' fans, want Picard's chair? It's for sale

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LAS VEGAS – "Star Trek" lovers looking for Enterprise chairs, Starfleet uniforms or a model Klingon Bird of Prey can seek out new life for the dismantled pieces of a closed Las Vegas attraction based on the famous franchise.

Auctioneer Propworx Inc. plans to sell roughly 1,000 items large and small from Star Trek: The Experience at a warehouse sale Saturday in Las Vegas, CEO Alec Peters said.

The attraction, based on the beloved television series and movies, closed in 2008 after a 10-year run.

"Anything like this, you're sad to see it go, but on the other hand it's an opportunity for fans to preserve the stuff," Peters said. "It's an opportunity for the studio to get it in the hands of people who made it great.

"I think it is bittersweet — we try to make it fun," Peters said.

Among the items for sale are three large models of spaceships in need of repair or restoration — the U.S.S. Enterprise A, the U.S.S. Voyager and the Bird of Prey — as well as a replica of the Enterprise bridge from "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Peters said a Borg alcove — where members of the synthetically enhanced drone race recharge and synch with a hive mind — is on sale for $800.

Also on sale are costumes and knickknacks, starting at $10, Peters said.

The attraction folded in "Star Trek" mythology, billing itself as a "21st-century time station" used to transport personnel and equipment to and from the late 24th century. The story was that the Experience let folks of the future meet and study many human cultures in a single place where they often converge — Sin City.

The attraction included two rides where visitors were transported to the U.S.S. Enterprise, rode in a shuttle or faced a Borg encounter.

Mike Cornwell, the executive officer of a local Star Trek fan club that helped set up the memorabilia sale, said Friday that members of the club have been sad about the immersive experience going away.

"We see it as such a waste that they closed it down," Cornwell said. "It's really a blow to all Star Trek fans everywhere."

Cornwell, 47, said he hopes to buy a certain piece of the exhibit's History of the Future, which chronicled the history of the Star Trek universe.

CBS Television Distribution, which owns the rights to the franchise, has a licensing deal in place for a Star Trek exhibit in downtown Las Vegas through its consumer products division. No timeline for that attraction has been announced.

CBS Consumer Products has a deal with Kennedy Space Center on a live 30-minute live stage show based on the universe from the 2009 "Star Trek" movie. The show is to debut in June.

Penelope Cruz eyes 'Pirates of the Caribbean' sequel

Penelope Cruz is in negotiations to join Johnny Depp and sail the seven seas in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," the fourth installment of the movie series being directed by Rob Marshall.

Depp is reprising his popular role of Captain Jack Sparrow, and while plot details are buried deeper than Blackbeard's treasure, it is known the tale revolves around the Fountain of Youth.

Cruz's character details are also being kept secret, though she is to be Sparrow's foil and equal in many ways.

Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot wrote the script. Jerry Bruckheimer is producing.

For Cruz, the role reunites her with Marshall, who directed her in "Nine." Her performance garnered her an Oscar nomination in the best supporting actress category just last week. She won the Oscar for best actress in a leading role for 2009's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

"Pirates" will set sail before cameras in Hawaii this summer. Disney plans for a May 20, 2011, release.


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Another Nomination for Keira Knightley

Wow, in just her first on stage production, Keira has scored a major theater nomination. The Laurence Olivier Award nominations were announced and Keira scored a best supporting actress nom. Kudos to her and to the rest which include Jude Law for Best Actor, Rachel Wiesz for Best Actress. The awards are the equivilant to the Tony's or Oscars in the UK


List of Nominees: After the Cut


BEST ACTRESS

* Gillian Anderson for A DOLL’S HOUSE at the Donmar
* Lorraine Burroughs for THE MOUNTAINTOP at Trafalgar Studios 1
* Imelda Staunton for ENTERTAINING MR SLOANE at Trafalgar Studios 1
* Juliet Stevenson for DUET FOR ONE at the Almeida and Vaudeville
* Rachel Weisz for A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at the Donmar

BEST ACTOR

* James Earl Jones for CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at the Novello
* Jude Law for HAMLET, Donmar at Wyndham’s
* James McAvoy for THREE DAYS OF RAIN at the Apollo
* Mark Rylance for JERUSALEM at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo
* Ken Stott for A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE at the Duke of York’s
* Samuel West for ENRON at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noel Coward

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

* Hayley Atwell for A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE at the Duke of York’s
* Michelle Dockery for BURNT BY THE SUN at the Lyttelton
* Alexandra Gilbreath for TWELFTH NIGHT at the Duke of York’s
* Keira Knightley for THE MISANTHROPE at the Comedy
* Rachael Stirling for THE PRIORY at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court
* Ruth Wilson for A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at the Donmar

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

* Mackenzie Crook for JERUSALEM at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo
* Rory Kinnear for BURNT BY THE SUN at the Lyttelton
* Tim Pigott-Smith for ENRON at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noel Coward
* Eddie Redmayne for RED at the Donmar

BEST NEW PLAY

* ENRON by Lucy Prebble at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noel Coward
* JERUSALEM by Jez Butterworth at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo
* THE MOUNTAINTOP by Katori Hall at Trafalgar Studios 1
* RED by John Logan by at the Donmar Warehouse

BEST NEW COMEDY

* CALENDAR GIRLS by Tim Firth at the Noël Coward
* ENGLAND PEOPLE VERY NICE by Richard Bean at the Olivier
* PARLOUR SONG by Jez Butterworth at the Almeida
* THE PRIORY by Michael Wynne at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL

* Irving Berlin’s ANNIE GET YOUR GUN music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields at the Young Vic
* HELLO DOLLY! book by Michael Stewart, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, based on the play ‘The Matchmaker’ by Thornton Wilder at the Open Air
* A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler, suggested by a film by Ingmar Bergman, originally produced and directed on Broadway by Harold Prince at the Garrick
* Lionel Bart’s OLIVER! based on the original production by Sam Mendes at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

BEST NEW MUSICAL

* DREAMBOATS AND PETTICOATS book by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran at the Savoy
* PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT – THE MUSICAL book by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, based on the Latent Image/Specific Films motion picture distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. at the Palace
* SPRING AWAKENING music by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics by Steven Sater, based on the play by Frank Wedekind at the Novello
* SISTER ACT music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner at The London Palladium

BEST ENTERTAINMENT

* Arturo Brachetti: CHANGE written and directed by Sean Foley, original concept by Serge Denoncourt, based on the repertoire of Arturo Brachetti at the Garrick
* Derren Brown: ENIGMA written by Derren Brown and Andy Nyman at the Adelphi
* MORECAMBE by Tim Whitnall at the Duchess

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR ENTERTAINMENT

* Melanie C for BLOOD BROTHERS at the Phoenix
* Patina Miller for SISTER ACT at the London Palladium
* Samantha Spiro for HELLO DOLLY! at the Open Air
* Hannah Waddingham for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Garrick
* Charlotte Wakefield for SPRING AWAKENING at the Novello

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR ENTERTAINMENT

* Rowan Atkinson for OLIVER! at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
* Aneurin Barnard for SPRING AWAKENING at the Novello
* Bob Golding for MORECAMBE at the Duchess
* Alexander Hanson for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Garrick
* Tony Sheldon for PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT – THE MUSICAL at the Palace

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL OR ENTERTAINMENT

* Sheila Hancock for SISTER ACT at the London Palladium
* Maureen Lipman for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Garrick
* Kelly Price for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Garrick
* Iwan Rheon for SPRING AWAKENING at the Novello

BEST DIRECTOR

* Rupert Goold for ENRON at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noel Coward
* Michael Grandage for HAMLET, Donmar at Wyndham’s
* Lindsay Posner for A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE at the Duke of York’s
* Ian Rickson for JERUSALEM at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo
* Bijan Sheibani for OUR CLASS at the Cottesloe

BEST REVIVAL

* ARCADIA directed by David Leveaux at the Duke of York’s
* CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF directed by Debbie Allen at the Novello
* THE MISANTHROPE directed by Thea Sharrock at the Comedy
* A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE directed by Rob Ashford at the Donmar Warehouse
* A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE directed by Lindsay Posner at the Duke of York’s
* THREE DAYS OF RAIN directed by Jamie Lloyd at the Apollo

BEST THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHER

* Matthew Bourne for OLIVER! at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
* Bill T Jones for SPRING AWAKENING at the Novello
* Anthony Van Laast for SISTER ACT at the London Palladium
* Stephen Mear for HELLY DOLLY! at the Open Air

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

* BURNT BY THE SUN designed by Mark Henderson at the Lyttelton
* ENRON designed by Mark Henderson the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noel Coward
* SPRING AWAKENING designed by Kevin Adams at the Novello
* THREE DAYS OF RAIN designed by Jon Clark at the Apollo

BEST SET DESIGN

* ENGLAND PEOPLE VERY NICE designed by Mark Thompson
* ENRON designed by Anthony Ward at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noel Coward
* JERUSALEM designed by Ultz at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo
* RED designed by Christopher Oram at the Donmar Warehouse

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

* HELLO DOLLY! designed by Peter McKintosh at the Open Air
* MADAME DE SADE designed by Christopher Oram, Donmar at Wyndham’s
* THE MISANTHROPE designed by Amy Roberts at the Comedy
* PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT- THE MUSICAL designed by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner at the Palace

BEST SOUND DESIGN

* EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FAVOUR designed by Christopher Shutt at the Olivier
* JERUSALEM designed by Ian Dickinson for Autograph at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo
* MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN designed by Andrew Bruce and Nick Lidster for Autograph at the Olivier
* SPRING AWAKENING designed by Brian Ronan at the Novello

THE AUDIENCE AWARD FOR MOST POPULAR SHOW

* BILLY ELLIOT music by Elton John, books and lyrics by Lee Hall at the Victoria Palace
* THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA music and book by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart, book and additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe at His Majesty’s
* WAR HORSE based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Nick Stafford at the New London
* WE WILL ROCK YOU based on the songs of Queen, by Ben Elton in collaboration with Brian May and Roger Taylor at the Dominion
* WICKED music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by Winnie Holzman at the Apollo Victoria

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AN AFFILIATE THEATRE

* Soho Theatre/ Tiata Fahodzi for IYA ILE (THE FIRST WIFE)
* The Tricycle Theatre for THE GREAT GAME
* The Royal Court for COCK at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs

BEST NEW OPERA PRODUCTION

* The Royal Opera’s DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER at the Royal Opera House
* The Royal Opera’s LULU at the Royal Opera House
* English National Opera’s PETER GRIMES at the London Coliseum
* The Royal Opera’s TRISTAN UND ISOLDE at the Royal Opera House

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERA

* Anja Kampe for her performance in Royal Opera’s DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER at the Royal Opera House
* Stuart Skelton for his performance in English National Opera’s PETER GRIMES at the London Coliseum
* Nina Steme for her performance in the Royal Opera’s TRISTAN UND ISOLDE at the Royal Opera House
* Michael Volle for his performances in the Royal Opera’s LULU and TRISTAN AND ISOLDE at the Royal Opera House

BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION

* Russell Maliphant’s AFTERLIGHT at Sadler’s Wells
* Birmingham Royal Ballet’s E=MC² at Sadler’s Wells
* Goldberg: The Brandstrup Rojo Project, ROH2 at the Royal Opera House
* Rambert Dance Company’s A LINHA CURVA at Sadler’s Wells
* Fabulous Beast Dance’s THE RITE OF SPRING at the London Coliseum

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE

* Colin Dunne for his performance in OUT OF TIME at The Pit
* Michael Hulls for his lighting designs for Russell Maliphant’s TWO:FOUR:TEN at the London Coliseum; and for Russell Maliphant’s AFTERLIGHT and for Ex Machina & Sylvie Guillem’s EONNAGATA at Sadler’s Wells
* Rambert Dance Company for an outstanding year of new work

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Eric Bana Will Be The Father of Assassin 'Hanna'

I'm very intrigued by Hanna, Joe Wright's hitgirl film that starts his steely-eyed Atonement star, Saoirse Ronan. Even if it's a bit of a Leon / Kick-Ass story, Wright hasn't really let me down yet (though I never did see The Soloist -- maybe I speak too blindly), and Ronan is a force to be reckoned with. Now she's landed a brooding hunk of a costar, as Heat Vision reports that Eric Bana is in line to play her nemesis and father.

Hanna centers around a 14-year-old Eastern European girl who is groomed by her father to be a cold-blooded killing machine. She finds a loving connection with an ordinary French family, but is dragged kicking and screaming (I imagine that's no hyperbole) back to her father's brutal world. She then discovers that she's one of many such killer children, born and bred in a CIA training camp. If she wants to be free, she's going to have to fight her way out. Cue the blood and brutality, I hope.

An actor who has never quite made it huge on this side of the Pacific, Bana seems to be destined for darker roles in Hollywood films. He's capable of very funny and very nuanced work. (Have you seen Romulus, My Father? If not, go rent it now.) I can't imagine Wright is going to give us a one-sided bad guy, and will let Bana play someone who is loving and cruel. Given the way he's bolstered so many British careers, maybe Wright and Hanna will be the film that launches Bana into a more respected stratosphere.

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Gerard Butler: Support Artists for Peace and Justice

Gerard Butler shows his support for Artists for Peace and Justice, a fundraising effort dedicated to ensuring peace and social justice around the world, in this 30 second spot released today.

The organization sponsored three schools in Haiti this past year and continues its goal of successfully rebuilding schools in Port-au-Prince.

Over the past month, Gerry has attended several benefits for Haiti through APJ and has given back to those who need it most.

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Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen's most popular novel has enthralled generations of readers, as proud Mr. Darcy meets his match in witty and prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet. But only now can the hidden story be told, of the two parallel loves that complicate this ideal romance: Darcy's controlling affection for the gentlemanlike Charles Bingley; and the sympathetic intimacy between Elizabeth and her more practical friend, Charlotte Lucas. Written in a comparable "bright and sparkling" style, Pride/Prejudice "fills the gaps" in Austen's story, daring to imagine the full truth suggested by the original. What is Darcy's real motivation for preventing Bingley's marriage to Elizabeth's beautiful and virtuous sister Jane? How can Darcy reconcile his desire for Elizabeth with his determination to save his friend from a similar entanglement? And what is the disturbing history behind Darcy's tortured relationship with his foster brother, George Wickham? Pride/Prejudice brings to light all the buried secrets, weaving a tale of intertwined passions that must be resolved through honesty and forgiveness, the humbling of pride and freedom from prejudice.





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Steven Spielberg Interview HBO’s THE PACIFIC

Executive producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks are following up their highly successful 2001 mini-series Band of Brothers with the epic 10-part The Pacific, premiering on HBO on March 14th.

The mini-series tracks the intertwined journeys of three U.S. Marines — Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), Eugene Sledge (Joe Mazzello) and John Basilone (Jon Seda) — of the 1st Marine Division, which is the oldest and largest active duty division of the U.S. Marine Corps.

While Band of Brothers followed the experiences of one company of Amy paratroopers in the European Theater of Operations, The Pacific depicts the war a world away in the Pacific Theater of Operations, which encompassed most of the Pacific Ocean and its islands, including the Philippines, the Netherlands East Indies, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. With the support of their fellow Marines and comrades in the Navy, Air Force and Army, the 1st Marine Division was at the forefront of many of the hardest-fought campaigns of the Pacific War.

Over the span of 10 hours, The Pacific takes an unflinching look at the experiences of these men and their brothers in arms, which is nothing less than what is expected from the man responsible for the personal looks at war that he brought audiences in both Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.

While talking to press about this historical upcoming mini-series at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, Steven Spielberg expressed his passion and desire for continuing to bring these stories to audiences, as well as how the recent success of Avatar has been inspiring to him as a filmmaker.

When you were making Saving Private Ryan, did you have a sense that you were establishing a visual template for war and war depictions that were going to be carried over for 12 years now?
In Saving Private Ryan, I had a sense that I was establishing a template, based on the experiences communicated to me by the veterans who fought that morning on Dog Green, Omaha Beach, and their experiences, and the very few surviving photographs of the great war correspondent, Robert Capa. I combined those photographs to try to find a 24-frame-per-second equivalent for how I can show that kind of terror and chaos without making a movie that looked elegant and beautiful and in full living color, very much like war movies had been made in the past.

It wasn’t that I was trying to break the mold of the old war movie approach, visually, but I was simply trying to validate all of this testimony that had been communicated to us, based on the young men that lived and survived that battle. I didn’t know it was going to establish a look for war movies, but it was certainly what I thought was right for that particular story.

Given how pervasive that look has become in subsequent movies, when you do a project of this scale, do you try to get away from that and give it a different look?
We did give The Pacific with a different look. There was a very strong, desaturated quality to Band of Brothers. In The Pacific, it was blue skies. They weren’t fighting in overcast weather. Sometimes monsoons would come in and it was terribly rainy and muddy and you couldn’t see the hand in front of your face, but it was a blue-sky war. It was a hot, dry, humid blue-sky war. So, there are more vivid colors in The Pacific than we ever had in Band of Brothers because that was the way it was, when you read the books and talk to the survivors of those campaigns.

How tough is it to sell a project like this?
Thank goodness for HBO. They gave us this opportunity to put the stories of these very brave men and women on the network. We’re very beholden to HBO for making room on their schedule for something like this.

How much time did you spend working on this?
I would say years. Longer than I actually remember. It was inevitable that we would do The Pacific with HBO because there was such an overwhelming response, not only from the general public that got very involved in Band of Brothers, but we got so much positive mail. At the same time, that mail said, “I was a veteran of the Solomons.” “I fought on Tarawa.” “I was at Midway.” We got so many letters of veterans from the Pacific Theater of Operations, asking us if we could acquit their stories the way we acquitted the stories of the European Theater of Operations.

The combat scenes in this have an enormity, in how riveting and visceral they are. Does it get any easier to do them?
It doesn’t get any easier because these are all new actors to this experience, and all new directors to this experience. But, I could imagine that this was a very grueling, difficult and scary experience, being where Tom and I have been twice before, with Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan.

Do you see this less as strictly a history of that part of the war and more another story of soldiers’ experiences?
What moved us to tell these stories, based on these survivors and veterans, was to see what happens to the human soul throughout this particular engagement. These islands were stepping stones to the mainland of Japan. We weren’t trained by the drill instructors stateside. We were trained by the enemy, in how to fight the enemy. They trained us how to fight like them.

I don’t want to compare one war to the other, in terms of savagery, but there’s a level when nature and humanity conspire against the individual. To see what happens to those individuals, throughout the entire course of events, leading up to the dropping of the two atomic bombs, is something that was very, very hard for the actors, the writers and all of us to put on the screen, but we felt we had to try.

Are there more stories to tell?
There are many more stories to tell, and we’re going to tell them.

Are you developing them?
We are developing them.

Having made Schindler’s List, how do you feel that there’s a whole generation that’s only going to know about the Holocaust second-hand, through films and stories?
There’s no other way to learn about it, except through documentaries. I encourage documentarians to continue telling stories about World War II. I think documentaries are the greatest way to educate an entire generation that doesn’t often look back to learn anything about the history that provided a safe haven for so many of us today. Documentaries are the first line of education, and the second line of education is dramatization, such as The Pacific.

Do you feel that a soldier’s journey is the ultimate hero’s journey?
For one thing, I don’t think that anybody in any war thinks of themselves as a hero. The minute anybody presumes that they are heroes, they get their boots taken away from them and buried in the sand. That’s not going to happen.

In the re-creation of combat situations, and this is coming from a director who’s never been in one, being mindful of what these veterans have actually gone through, you find that the biggest concern is that you don’t look at war as a geopolitical endeavor. You look at war as something that is putting your best friend in jeopardy. You are responsible for the person in front of you and the person behind you, and the person to the left of you and the person to the right of you. Those are the small pods that will inadvertently create a hero, but that is someone else’s observation, not the observation of those kids in the foxholes.

From a filmmaker’s point of view, how do you see the current state of the industry?
I’m very unqualified to talk about the state of the industry right now. But, thank goodness for Avatar.

Has the success of Avatar challenged you to try some new forms of filmmaking?
It is such an inspiration for all of us.


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ET interviews the stars of "BURLESQUE"!

Sooo... yesterday we got a little preview and tonight, Entertainment Tonight aired the FULL interviews and back-stage shots!
Interviews with Christina, Cher, Stanley Tucci and Kristen Bell!

It's a Glorious Day for the Basterds

Quentin, meet Oscar.

"Wow! This honor gives me such tremendous satisfaction," writer-director Quentin Tarantino said in a statement after his World War II drama Inglourious Basterds picked up eight Academy Awards nods – including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and Best Screenplay – on Tuesday morning.

While the ensemble cast includes Brad Pitt and Diane Kruger, Austrian actor Christoph Waltz earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance as a diabolical, and multilingual, Nazi officer.

"It was the ultimate wake-up call," Waltz marveled to PEOPLE after learning the happy news in an early morning call from his publicist, adding that he slept fitfully the night before: "Like a baby who wakes up every three hours."

Though Waltz has already picked up Golden Globe and SAG awards for the role, the first-time Oscar nominee said he feels the anticipation and excitement of a child on Christmas Eve.

"The Oscars – in my mind it's something that has been televised and read about and reported on … but what that night really means when you're there, I have absolutely no idea," he said. "I'm looking forward to [it]. I feel true amazement."

According to the film's producer Lawrence Bender, without Waltz there wouldn't have been a Basterds.

"When we got to Berlin, Quentin was really concerned – he felt he'd written a role that couldn't be cast. He thought it was probably the best role he'd ever written and he didn't want to compromise," Bender told PEOPLE. "If he couldn't find someone who could be a great actor – and a great actor in four languages – he said, 'Maybe we should pack up and go home and I'll just publish this as a book.' "

"Later that day, in walked Christoph Waltz, and there was no second choice. Literally – without him, we would've gone home, there would be no movie. So to have him recognized is just wonderful."

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