BuzzSugar

Amy Adams and Zach Galifianakis Move In to Town House

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:30:24 -0700

Zach Galifianakis's star continues to rise. The Hangover funny man is reportedly in talks for Town House. Loosely based on the novel by Tish Cohen, the dramedy follows an agoraphobic dad (Galifianakis) living off royalties from his rock star father - the dilemma being what to do when the money runs out. Amy Adams would play a call girl who befriends him.

Adams, aka Miss Enchanted, as a prostitute? Galifianakis as a father?! I love both of these actors, and I'm excited to see them branch out. With Tony and Ridley Scott producing, and John Carney of Once fame is attached to direct, I have high hopes for this one.

What's your take on the news? If the plot gets romantic - which I'm guessing it will - do you think Galifianakis and Adams will make a good pair? (I wonder if he'll shave that beard!)

Angelina Jolie Is Going Gucci

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:30:00 -0700

Despite what she may have said in the past, Angelina Jolie's career isn't slowing down anytime soon. Last week we learned that she'll be taking Charlize Theron's place in The Tourist and she may be adding another femme fatale role to her resume. Jolie is in talks to take the lead in Ridley Scott's Gucci.

Jolie would play Patrizia Reggiano, who spent 29 years in prison for plotting the murder of her ex husband, Maurizio Gucci. The script is still being reworked and Ridley's search for his Maurizio continues - apparently Leonardo DiCaprio has been approached but has yet to sign on.

I could absolutely see Jolie in this role, and in general I like when she can show more of her acting chops and less of her kung fu skills. Bonus: Angelina and Leo would make for one hot big screen couple.

Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:00:06 -0700

Mia Michaels is leaving So You Think You Can Dance - Mia's Twitter
Lady Gaga reveals her upcoming tour dates - Billboard
Ridley Scott goes Red Riding for Sony - Hit Fix
Season four of Big Love will premiere on Jan. 10 - TV Squad
William H. Macy will star in an adaptation of the British drama Shameless for Showtime - The Futon Critic
Josh Duhamel will star in a new Disney flick called What's He Got? - Coming Soon
Taylor Swift is going to host SNL - should she address Kanye's comments? - PopSugar
Ever wonder what Carlisle Cullen looked like in the olden days? - MTV Movies Blog
Brad Pitt's Tree of Life won't be released until next year - Vulture
Take Yum's Top Chef quiz on last night's episode - YumSugar

DiCaprio, Ridley Scott Bring Us a Brave New World

BuzzSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:30:06 -0700

Leonardo DiCaprio is a busy guy these days. A day after we learned that he'll be producing a version of Little Red Riding Hood with "a Gothic twist," there's news of him adapting another story: Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. DiCaprio will reportedly produce and star in the film and Ridley Scott is attached to direct. The futuristic novel has been adapted for television before but this will be its first time on the big screen. Risky Biz Blog provides a refresher on the story:

Huxley sets his book in a seemingly perfect 26th century world that has achieved harmony by tightly controlling birth, which takes place mainly in laboratories, and outlawing family. The world is populated by a series of five castes, each with its own defined roles.

Characters who figure in to the story are Bernard . . . and Lenina, the woman with whom he is infatuated. DiCaprio is would likely play Bernard, who is persecuted when the leaders of the society find his behavior antisocial.

DiCaprio is apparently looking to play Bernard. The site points out that dystopian stories have proven difficult to adapt for film, but after Blade Runner it seems Scott is a good choice to at least give this adaptation a shot. What do you think? Is it about time for a big screen Brave New World? Or should Hollywood just leave well enough alone already?

Buzz News Roundup, 7/13

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:30:13 -0700

Natalie Portman will play Jane Foster in the upcoming comic-book film, Thor. The film is to be directed by Kenneth Branagh and is slated to be released May 20, 2011. - AP
Director Morgan Spurlock will produce and direct the documentary special The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special in 3-D on Ice, which will air on Fox on Jan. 14, 2010. - EW
Lady GaGa joins Avril Lavigne and Ace of Base as the only artists to have three songs from a debut album hit number one on the Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart - The Hollywood Reporter
Jason Statham is in negotiations to star in Blitz, a thriller about a serial killer who targets cops. - Variety
Paul McCartney will play the Late Show With David Letterman this Wednesday, which will be a return to the theater where the Beatles made their American debut 45 years ago. - The Hollywood Reporter
Fox is bringing back Sit Down, Shut Up as part of its late-night lineup this fall. - The Futon Critic
Danny Huston will be King Richard in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood movie. - The Hollywood Reporter

Who Could Play Mr. Monopoly?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:30:58 -0800

It's really for serious: Ridley Scott is going ahead with his movie version of the Monopoly game, and now the project has a screenwriter who will help to "shape a narrative out of the iconic real-estate game." Apparently Scott wants to give the film "a futuristic sheen along the lines of his iconic Blade Runner."

So . . . there's that. Now I'm wondering who they'll get to play the main money man himself, Mr. Monopoly. Fun fact: If Wikipedia isn't doing me wrong, Mr. Monopoly has gone by a variety of different names, including Rich Uncle Pennybags (or more formally, Milburn Pennybags), Stanley Monopoly, and Toby. In 1999 he was renamed Mr. Monopoly from Rich Uncle Pennybags. But I digress. Who could play the old top-hatted guy? I would love to see Victor Garber do something awesome with the role, and Bob Balaban definitely looks the part. Any other suggestions? And can you see a Monopoly movie working?

Source

Body of Lies: Tense in Some Parts, Tedious in Others

BuzzSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:30:41 -0700

Body of Lies has slipped on and off my radar over the past couple of months. It's hard to ignore because it's Ridley Scott working with Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, and yet the previews haven't looked all that original. But I went anyway, hoping to be entertained and thinking that if it turned out to be thought-provoking as well, all the better.

The thing is, this movie doesn't do more than it has to in terms of both entertainment and thought-provocation. There's a tedious quality to it that, despite some good action scenes and funny lines, is hard to shake. That said, I appreciate that Scott aims to give us a slightly different, more psychological view of life on the ground for American operatives in the Middle East. But to see why I'm a bit torn about this movie, read more.

DiCaprio (sporting some icky facial hair and a strange accent) plays Roger Ferris, a CIA agent operating in the Middle East on the hunt for an elusive Bin Laden-type mastermind named Al-Saleem. He's only ever a cell phone call away from his boss, Ed Hoffman (Crowe), who runs the show from the comfort of his suburban home in the Washington DC area and some kind of mission control room where he can view Ferris's whereabouts via satellite. The whole thing has a Big Brother feel to it while demonstrating how easy it is for people (like the calculating Hoffman) to detach from the messy moral issues that take place on the ground.

Both characters come to embody the different aspects of a war of this nature: Crowe's paunchy Hoffman pragmatically give orders through a lazy Southern accent while stuffing his face with food. Meanwhile, DiCaprio's Ferris blends into the Arab world and earns their trust, only to pick shrapnel out of his skin when things go awry due to the impatience of his boss. It's kind of a funny thing watching Crowe peer over his glasses in comfy armchairs while DiCaprio rolls around from one explosion to the next the whole movie. In this world, catching terrorists is a mad scramble, with agents literally rummaging through the post-bombing rubble looking for evidence and information. There's nothing particularly organized or methodical about it until they partner with the most interesting character in the movie, Hani, the head of Jordanian intelligence.

The introduction of Hani, played beautifully by the handsome Mark Strong, is where things get good as he warns the Americans not to lie to him and to let him do his job. Of course, Hoffman decides they need results more quickly and he pressures young Ferris to embark on a risky scheme behind Hani's back. Unfortunately, this all happens during the last third of the movie, and up until this plot-thickening it's all rather pointless and predictable, not to mention boring.

Though torture is used and both lead characters give monologues about winning the war on terror, the movie's focus has less to do with any kind of political statement and more to do with use and abuse of relationships as mere means to an end (in this case capturing jihadists). It fails to bring to the table in a new and entertaining way what we already know about spies: no one is to be trusted, human life is disposable, and technology only complicates matters. As a result, Body of Lies has some bright spots of action and intrigue sprinkled throughout an otherwise forgettable entry into the political thriller genre.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Watch, Pass, TiVo, or Rent: Body of Lies

BuzzSugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:30:32 -0700

For this next installment of Watch, Pass, TiVo, or Rent (my version of Do, Dump, or Marry), I'm curious to know what your thoughts are on this Friday's new release from Ridley Scott: Body of Lies.

Starring Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio, the story follows a CIA operative on the trail of a high-ranking terrorist in Jordan. Apparently, "the spy is aided by the head of Jordan's covert operations in an uneasy alliance that leads to cultural and moral clashes between the men." The actors are good and Ridley Scott has brought us such films as Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, and American Gangster.

So, what'll it be?

One-sheet image courtesy of Warner Bros.

Buzz News Roundup, 7/28

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:30:49 -0700

Citing a lack of stories to tell in a second season, HBO won't be bringing back Tell Me You Love Me after all, Zap2it reports.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Ridley Scott's Nottingham movie (starring Russell Crowe as Sheriff of Nottingham and Sienna Miller as Maid Marion) has been "indefinitely postponed."
Alexis Bledel and Scott Porter are joining Julio DePietro's romantic comedy The Good Guy, ComingSoon reports.
Harvey Keitel will play a detective in ABC's Life on Mars, marking the first time he's taken a regular TV role, the New York Times reports.
Billboard has the news that Coldplay's album Viva la Vida climbed back to the top spot on the U.K. charts.
Showtime is developing a drama about Studio 54 called Studio, writes Hollywood Reporter.
Ellen Barkin, Ving Rhames and Rob Corddry will star in the indie comedy Rogues Gallery, Variety writes.
Family Guy showrunner David A. Goodman will adapt Blatant Comics's Last Blood into a horror film, according to ComingSoon.
Entertainment Weekly reports that Nelly will guest-star on CSI: NY as a club owner.

Source

Movie Preview: Ridley Scott's Body of Lies

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:30:09 -0700

Does the Body of Lies trailer come with the scent of Oscar noms, or am I getting ahead of myself here? Nobody knows just yet, but with heavy-hitting stars like Leo and Russell Crowe and the dark intensity that director Ridley Scott brings to all his projects, we may be looking at a future critical darling here. Then again, I thought Scott's American Gangster would do way better at the Oscars than it did, so maybe I should just stop with the predictions for a while.

In Body of Lies, which is based on a novel by David Ignatius, "a former journalist injured in the Iraq war is hired by the CIA to track down an Al Qaeda leader in Jordan." The new trailer features things like furrowed brows and pounding music. I will be very curious to catch this when it opens in theaters October 10. To watch the preview and tell me what you think, read more.