I can't wait to see what comes out of Tim Burton's imagination when he applies it to the classic Alice in Wonderland story with his live-action/motion-capture (like the Beowulf animation, plus live actors) adaptation. But of course, even with Burton's creative genius, casting is still (almost) everything. So who could play the innocent young Alice who goes on such a trippy adventure?
Rumor has it a virtually unknown 23-year-old actress named Ryan Nikole Parker will take the role — though apparently Evan Rachel Wood was initially supposed to have it and she backed out.
Perhaps a fresh face will be perfect for this part, so there are no preconceived notions about what our new Alice will be like. But if you had your druthers, who could you see playing a Tim Burton-y Alice?
If you're anything like me, you're back at work today after a long weekend of fun, trying to get back in the groove but needing a boost that even coffee can't bring. Luckily, I've found something to perk me up, and I have hopes it will work for you, too.
I've already admitted my love for Hellboy, the big, goofy red guy whose second movie hits theaters on Friday. Hellboy 2 has me psyched partially because of director Guillermo del Toro's awesome visual storytelling, but I also love how adorable and bumbling Hellboy himself (played by Ron Perlman) can be.
Well, some smart executive has also picked up on Hellboy's more endearing qualities, producing a series of videos with Hellboy playing video games with NBC's Chuck, being interviewed by Inside the Actor's Studio's James Lipton, and even doing a "The More You Know"-style public service announcement with a cat. They've already had me giggling at my desk all day. You can see a whole bunch over here, but if you just want to see my favorites, read more
Seeing all the publicity around Kit Kittredge: An American Girl has me thinking about how normal the film's young star, Abigail Breslin, seems. She's already got an Oscar nomination and some headlining roles under her belt, and so far it's hard to imagine her winding up like so many other young actors these days, getting attention for their downward spirals rather than their stellar performances. So, as a plea to keep Breslin on the up-and-up, I thought it would be fun to check out some young stars who made good. No, they didn't all win Oscars; some had dark years or briefly faded out of the spotlight. But overall, they grew into seemingly nice people with Hollywood careers to be proud of. To see some potential role models for Breslin, just hit "Start."
"I'm going over the nerd wall and I ain't never going back." Those are words to live by.
Trying to guess exactly how the film Harold would shape up based on the casting news alone was kinda difficult. There is an odd mix of actors involved, including Cuba Gooding Jr., some Saturday Night Live alums (Rachel Dratch, Colin Quinn, Chris Parnell), '80s star Ally Sheedy, and cute young actors like Spencer Breslin and Nikki Blonsky in her first feature film role since Hairspray.
The trailer is goofy and sweet and makes me laugh. The idea of a kid with premature balding getting picked on is you know, heartbreaking, but I can't help but giggle at people mistaking the poor guy for an elderly person. And Cuba Gooding Jr. actually looks like he may be back on his game, as he seems pretty charming and funny in the preview. The whole thing looks sweetly absurd with something life-affirming at the core.
The movie opens in limited release July 11. To check the trailer, read more
According to Entertainment Weekly, McKidd would play a doctor who comes to Seattle Grace after a stint working in Iraq. While the report doesn't say the role would be permanent, it is described as a "long story arc."
I just have one request for the folks at Grey's: Could you somehow make him a Scottish doctor who happens to land in Seattle? Because, while McKidd is attractive with any accent, his natural Scots brogue is — if I may be shallow for just a moment — really, really darn hot. We could call him McScottie!
I think the Grey's ensemble has been lacking something ever since Isaiah Washington left the show, and while adding Brooke Smith as Erica Hahn helped some, it didn't completely fix the show's energy. Could McKidd be the missing link? Weigh in on that — and any hot Scottish doctor fantasies that you might care to share — in the comments.
A surprise to no one (but still a delight to me, since I find this Will Smith movie to be pretty fun), Hancock won the crown at the box office over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. According to Variety, the movie "is the eighth Smith film in a row to open at No. 1 domestically, as well as his fifth — and most successful — Fourth of July outing." It is also Smith's second-biggest opening after the record-breaking opening of I Am Legend in December. Over the long holiday weekend (5.5 days), Hancock raked in approximately $107.3 million.
So, in case anyone doubted it before, Will Smith = box office gold.
Elsewhere in the top five box office hits, Wall-E stepped into second place over the weekend, followed by Wanted and then Get Smart. Kung Fu Panda rounded out the group in fifth place. Kit Kittredge came in at No. 8, performing less well than studios had hoped.
Within the indie market, The Wackness did exceptionally well in its per-location average, and the Dr. Hunter S. Thompson documentary, Gonzo, also "enjoyed a solid debut."
Next weekend will bring us yet another movie deemed "male-skewing" by Variety: Hellboy II: The Golden Army (though I not-so-secretlycannot wait to see it!). Overall (with the exception of Wall-E), it looks like next weekend's top five at the box office will be pretty "male-skewing" (Hellboy II, Hancock, Wanted and Get Smart, with The Incredible Hulk still not too far behind).
I've said before I tune into The Bachelor on occasion and I definitely followed the season when that Texas bar owner jilted both of his final two women in the end. So, I was glad that they chose one of the jilted girls, DeAnna Pappas, to be the next Bachelorette, and I tried to watch this season.
But something went wrong. There was a lot of. . . yelling. I felt uncomfortable watching her get so upset, and I felt sympathetic toward both her and the guys. But not enough to watch regularly.
Apparently, however, I might be alone in these feelings toward DeAnna and crew because The Bachelorette is getting some of the best ratings the entire Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise has seen in years.
So in honor of tonight's finale, what do you think? Has DeAnna's search for love been the best season ever?
Jenna Dewan walked down the street in Beverly Hills looking extremely chic and poised. Her structured white blazer framed her body perfectly, and paired well over her draped fringe Haute Hippie halter which she wore with denim leggings and over-the-knee brown boots.
I can't wait to see what comes out of Tim Burton's imagination when he applies it to the classic Alice in Wonderland story with his live-action/motion-capture (like the Beowulf animation, plus live actors) adaptation. But of course, even with Burton's creative genius, casting is still (almost) everything. So who could play the innocent young Alice who goes on such a trippy adventure? 
Citizens of Humanity
French Connection
Promod