BuzzSugar

Wedding Movie Gets Whitaker, Ferrera and Mencia

BuzzSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 10:30:42 PDT

Looks like all the wedding stuff on the Sugar network (especially this post) might come in handy for the characters in an upcoming untitled wedding comedy by Fox Searchlight. Forest Whitaker and Carlos Mencia are signed on to play two dads and America Ferrera is the bride-to-be. Here's more:

Described as a clash-of-cultures comedy, story centers on two overbearing fathers (Whitaker, Mencia) who must put aside their differences to plan the wedding of their son and daughter (Ferrera) in less than two weeks.

Hmm . . . I wonder who will play the groom. Who could you see alongside the beautiful Ferrera? It sounds like a cute movie and I adore Forest Whitaker, though it'll be interesting to see the Oscar winner yukking it up with Carlos Mencia in Mencia's first major feature film role. It could be sweet if this came out around Father's Day next year. What do you think?

Source

Keira Knightley to Star in Never Let Me Go

BuzzSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:30:25 PST

Variety has announced one of Keira Knightley's next projects - a movie titled Never Let Me Go. And yet, even though the movie's plot description is completely the same as that of the Kazuo Ishiguro novel by the same title, neither Ishiguro nor the novel is mentioned in the article, as though the film is not an adaptation of this book. Hmmm . . .

Produced by Fox Searchlight, the film is described as a sci-fi thriller revolving "around a trio who grew up in a boarding school with no contact or knowledge of the outside world until they discover they are clones grown for the sole purpose of organ donation." That definitely matches the plot of the never-mentioned book, so I have to assume they're related somehow.

If so, I'm picturing Knightley as Kathy H., the reflective main character. She's thoughtful and wistful - both characteristics I associate with Knightley - and the sci-fi elements of the book are relatively subtle, so it shouldn't pull Knightley too far out of her comfort zone. I thought the book told a beautiful and haunting story, but I'm not 100 percent sold on it as a movie - what about you? If you've read the book, could you see Knightley in the role?

Source and Source

Deschanel, Gordon-Levitt Have 500 Days of Summer

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:34:06 PDT

Even more so than the Zooey Deschanel-Paul Dano pair-up, this movie casting news has me all swoony. Zooey will star alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt in - what else? - an indie film, this time titled 500 Days of Summer. The romantic comedy has Gordon-Levitt playing a man who "falls hopelessly in love with a woman (Deschanel) who doesn't believe in love."

I was never all that into 3rd Rock From the Sun, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt has consistently floored me in the movie roles he's taken since that show. He fit perfectly into the high school noir thriller Brick, and was totally sympathetic in the heist thriller The Lookout. In the recent war drama Stop-Loss he basically stole every scene he was in. I seriously can't wait to see him paired up with the ever-magnificent Zooey.

Source

David E. Talbert's Baggage Claim Picked Up by Fox Searchlight

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:29:15 PST

Fox Searchlight, flying high these days on their Juno success, is signing up to bring David Talbert's novel Baggage Claim to the big screen. The story follows thirtysomething flight attendant Montana Moore who, "frustrated with being single, embarks on a 30-day, 30,000-mile barnstorm across America to find an appropriate suitor. Along the way she encounters several interested prospects, including a preacher, a politician and a tycoon."

Author David Talbert has often been compared to Tyler Perry, as he writes, directs and produces projects like First Sunday, opening in wide release today and starring Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan. For Baggage Claim, Talbert will again write, direct and produce.

I really like this plot description, and I'm especially amused by this little blurb from a reader's review on Amazon: "[Montana Moore] has men in categories:

Overnight Bag kind of man
Garment Bag kind of man
Briefcase man
Duffel Bag kind of man
Trunk kind of man"

Ha! Now I'm curious to read Talbert's book before the project makes its way to theaters. What do you think about this movie news? Have you read Baggage Claim?

Zooey Deschanel Mingles With Winners Claire Danes and Jessica Lange at Fox Searchlight's Globes Party

Allie Merriam — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:42:28 PST

The Deschanel sisters were the center of attention at last night's Fox Searchlight post-Golden Globes bash. Zooey, who was up for best actress in a TV comedy for New Girl, was decked out in a custom Prada dress, which she paired with a tuxedo manicure! Her sister Emily, meanwhile, wore a navy blue dress. It was Emily Deschanel's red-carpet debut, following the birth of her son, Henry, last September. The Deschanels mingled with Globe winners Claire Danes, who was crowned best actress in a TV drama for Homeland, and best supporting actress in a TV series, American Horror Story's Jessica Lange. Fox's own Glee star Matthew Morrison made the rounds too - check out who else turned out for the bash!

Natalie Portman Is the Belle of the Fox Searchlight Oscar Party Ball

Allie Merriam — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 07:51:48 PST

Natalie Portman brought her newly won gold to the Fox Searchlight party at the My House club following the Oscars. The company was behind her film Black Swan, so the bash was just one on Natalie's long postshow itinerary that included a stint at the Vanity Fair event with her fiancé Benjamin Millepied. Natalie stayed in her Rodarte dress throughout the evening, showing off the purple number while on stage accepting her honor and right through into the press room. The frock landed her on the show's best-dressed list, but so far your top pick is Mila Kunis's lavender Elie Saab.

Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis Reunite For a Pre-Oscars Party!

Molly Goodson — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 04:45:00 PST

Black Swan's Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis reunited last night for a Vanity Fair and Fox Searchlight Films bash in Beverly Hills. The pregnant star and her fiancé Benjamin Millepied arrived back in LA on Wednesday evening ahead of this Sunday's Oscars. Natalie is a favorite for the best actress win, and we celebrated her success by taking a look back at her amazing award season run. We're also gearing up to see what she picks from hair and makeup to the dress she chooses to accommodate her growing baby bump. Mila will be a presenter during the show, an honor she shares with everyone from Justin Timberlake to Scarlett Johansson and Matthew McConaughey. Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy stuck together at yesterday evening's soiree after she attended Tuesday's Costume Designers Guild event. Emma Roberts posed with her friend and onscreen mom in Homework, Elizabeth Reaser. The Breaking Dawn matriarch has yet to join the rest of the cast, including little Mackenzie Foy, Robert Pattinson, and Kristen Stewart, in Vancouver. There are rumors that Robert will fly back to California for a quick Oscars cameo, but whether or not it's Mr. Pattinson, the producer promises a Twilight presence. The Oscars party circuit is officially in full swing, so don't miss any of the excitement with our updates!

We'll be LIVE from the red carpet on Sunday, so watch here on PopSugar, follow us on Twitter for breaking news and photos, and don't forget we're also giving away a Samsung TV, so be sure to fill out BuzzSugar's ballot for your chance to win!

Film Forum: Tell Us What Movie You Saw This Weekend

BuzzSugar — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:00:00 PST

Moviegoers' choices for new releases were limited at the theater this weekend, with Carey Mulligan and Michael Fassbender's Shame one of the few new movies to debut. The film, which focuses on a sex addict (Fassbender), has received positive reviews, and I'm curious about whether the film's NC-17 rating discouraged you from checking it out. If you didn't catch Shame, perhaps you waited a week before catching The Muppets or Hugo, or maybe you finally caught George Clooney in The Descendants. Whatever you saw, share your reviews in the comments!

Movie Sneak Peek: Michael Fassbender as a Sex Addict in Shame

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:30:13 PST

This weekend marks your first chance to catch Michael Fassbender's much buzzed-about performance in Shame. The film focuses on a sex addict (Fassbender) whose secret and need for intense privacy are challenged when his troubled sister (Carey Mulligan) asks to crash with him for a while. Fassbender's performance isn't the only reason why the film has been garnering media attention: graphic sex scenes and a full-frontal nudity have earned the film a dreaded NC-17 rating. If that's not stopping you from heading to the theater, here's a sneak peek at the film.

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight

The Descendants: Family Dysfunction Under the Hawaiian Sun

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 03:05:00 PST

You may not believe me if I told you I saw a movie about a family tragedy that made me laugh out loud, but The Descendants is that film. Alexander Payne's dramedy is a deeply moving story about a man, Matt King (Clooney), who struggles to reconnect with his daughters when a boating accident leaves his wife on life support. The film is filled with raw emotion, but it also finds humor in the realism of how people react and rebuild when life deals them a bad hand.

Matt's bad hand isn't just his wife's accident; he's also got rebellious 17-year-old Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) and precocious 10-year-old Scottie to look after, not to mention the fact that he's days away from making a life-changing decision about a plot of land that his family owns. Oh, and did I mention that in the midst of all this he learns that his wife had been having an affair? The premise certainly doesn't sound like a laugh riot - and believe me, it's chock-full of tear-jerking moments - but The Descendants is a gem that perfectly combines tragedy and folly, set against a Hawaiian backdrop.

To see why the film is so poignant, just

read more. Clooney may not play doting dad on a regular basis, but you'd never know it from his engaging performance as a self-proclaimed "understudy parent" who's suddenly thrust into the spotlight of raising two girls. Despite the emotional curve balls that are thrown Matt's way, Clooney's performance keeps you sympathizing for Matt without pitying him. Moreover, his dilemmas - how to confront his wife's lover and how to talk to his daughters about her condition - are the kind of problems that you hope you'll never have to face in your own life, but you still wonder how you'd react in the same position. Without a love interest for Matt, Woodley is the film's leading lady, and her years spent on The Secret Life of the American Teenager seem to have prepped her nicely to play Alexandra. On the surface, Alex is a typical, foul-mouthed, bratty teen, but Woodley brings the underlying issues to light, and we see that Alex is actually a loyal, independent young woman who's just been looking for some attention from her parents. With no one else to turn to, Matt and Alex spar and come closer together as they slowly build a new respect for each other. So where do the laughs come in? Clooney is skilled at deftly creating humor in otherwise unsettling situations, particularly as a clueless parent - he awkwardly spanks 17-year-old Alex in one scene, and tells off her dopey friend Sid in another. Sid, who is more or less a live-action version of Butthead, is a constant source of comic relief. Amara Miller also steals her fair share of scenes as 10-year-old Scottie, whether she's throwing around R-rated language or wearing inappropriate clothing swiped from her sister's closet. The plot of The Descendants moves slowly, as Payne takes his time to immerse us in Matt's Hawaiian lifestyle and carefully map out what he's dealing with. The pace is just part of the film's beauty; Matt initially describes his family as an archipelago, a chain of islands that are slowly drifting away from each other, but what unfolds is quite the opposite. The unforeseen circumstances actually bring each member of the family closer together, in an affecting portrait of the difference between being related and being a family.

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight