BuzzSugar

W Gets a Poster and a College Roommate

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:48:10 PDT

Casting for Oliver Stone's movie W, based on the presidency of George W. Bush, just continues to roll along and so far it all seems a little. . . absurd (the idea of Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush just makes me chuckle, for example). Today there's a poster, which gives us some new hints at what we can expect. I'm now willing to predict that this will be total and utter farce, given that the poster is simply a roundup of some of the most. . . questionable statements George Bush has ever uttered.

As for the latest casting news, Jesse Bradford (a.k.a. that guy from Bring It On and Swimfan) has been added to the group as Thatcher, president of Bush's fraternity. Shooting is underway as I type in Shreveport, LA and the movie will be careening toward a theater near you this October.

So, what do you make of all this? Will this movie be brilliant? Could you see it as a drama, or do, too, you think it'll be farcical?

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Stone Finds His Cheney in Richard Dreyfuss

BuzzSugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:00:23 PDT

Come this Fall, the current administration will be movin' out of the spotlight just as Oliver Stone's movie about it is heading to theaters. As reported earlier this month, W. will be released October 17, 2008 so it's no wonder the casting news continues to break at a rapid pace. They've got George and Laura, and even found their British Prime minister and National Security Advisor-turned-Secretary of State but one of the most buzzed-about casting slots left to fill was that of Vice President Cheney. Now there's news that Richard Dreyfuss will likely fill those shoes.

The Hollywood Reporter notes similar public service roles Dreyfuss has taken on in his career thus far:

The 60-year-old Dreyfuss has never played a U.S. leader, but has had a few related roles. He starred as an opposition senator to Michael Douglas' commander in chief in 1995's The American President, as Alexander Haig in a television movie about Ronald Reagan and played the president of a banana republic in the 1980s comedy Moon Over Parador.

Usually Dreyfuss' name makes me think of Mr. Holland's Opus and What About Bob. Still, I think the acting veteran will have no problem pulling off this, ah, controversial White House guy. Rob Corddry is also signed on to play the president's former Press Secretary Ari Fleischer and Toby Jones will step in as Karl Rove. I believe that just leaves Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld open. Got ideas?

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Thandie Is Condi and Gruffudd Is Blair in Stone's Bush Movie

BuzzSugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:30:45 PDT

Ordinarily, I wouldn't care quite so much about all the casting news for one movie, but Oliver Stone's project about George W. Bush is different. These are political figures that everyone is familiar with, and the project is about a president who's still currently in power. I have to admit, I'm intrigued. I wish I'd thought to do a recast challenge for this film, though so far I think the casting decisions have been interesting.

The most recent news has to do with National Security Advisor-turned-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British prime minister Tony Blair, who will be played by Thandie Newton and Ioan Gruffudd, respectively. Newton is the first non-American cast member in this project to portray a US political figure.

In regard to the script itself, Hollywood Reporter remarks:

As one of the few cabinet members to serve during both Bush terms, Rice's role in the Bush White House is seen as pivotal. According to those who've read the W script, Rice is said to be in a key first scene as well as a number of scenes connected to the Iraq War. Blair also appears in Iraq-related scenes.

Still yet to cast: Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and advisor Karl Rove. Any ideas about who should play these parts?

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Elizabeth Banks to Play Laura Bush in Oliver Stone Movie

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:33:41 PDT

Oliver Stone is trucking right along with his George Bush biopic, W, for which Josh Brolin has already been tapped to play the current President. Today there's news about the woman Stone wants to portray First Lady Laura Bush: funny lady Elizabeth Banks.

This just cracks me up. Banks is so good at the fun, campy comedic stuff (or, in the case of Wet Hot American Summer, the fun comedies set at camp), like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and her recurring role on Scrubs. I think she's a great, capable actress, but the idea of her playing Laura Bush - especially walking off the set of the Kevin Smith movie Zack and Miri Make a Porno and into the White House - strikes me as rather hilarious.

Political movie role aspirations aside, Banks is everywhere these days. After starring in Definitely, Maybe, she went to work with her costar Seth Rogen on Porno, will appear alongside Paul Rudd in Little Big Men, and in the coming months she can be found in both Meet Dave (with Eddie Murphy) and Meet Bill (with Aaron Eckhart).

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Oliver Stone Elects Josh Brolin to Play George W. Bush

BuzzSugar — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:31:31 PST

With just about a year to go in the presidency of George W. Bush, Oliver Stone has set his sights on a biopic about the nation's 43rd president. Josh Brolin, fresh off his turn in No Country for Old Men, has signed on to play the title role.

Bush is sure to be a controversial project coming from Stone, who hasn't exactly been the most subtle critic of the president's administration. But he told Variety his personal feelings about Bush weren't the point. He said:

Here, I'm the referee, and I want a fair, true portrait of the man. How did Bush go from an alcoholic bum to the most powerful figure in the world? It's like Frank Capra territory on one hand, but I'll also cover the demons in his private life, his bouts with his dad and his conversion to Christianity, which explains a lot of where he is coming from. It includes his belief that God personally chose him to be president of the United States, and his coming into his own with the stunning, preemptive attack on Iraq. It will contain surprises for Bush supporters and his detractors.

Well, it's not the most neutral statement I've ever heard (nor is the project's development title of "Misunderestimated"), but I'm still curious to see what Stone will do with this one. I'm also eager to see Brolin go from outlaw to Commander in Chief. I wouldn't have pictured it at first, but Stone pointed out that while "Josh is actually better looking than Bush," they do share a certain old Hollywood swagger.

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Tom Cruise Gets Shirtless, Looks Hot in the New W!

Allie Merriam — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:17:40 PDT

Tom Cruise is shirtless on the cover of June's W magazine. He posed for a spread tattooed up and channeling his Rock of Ages character Stacee Jaxx. The movie, a big-screen adaptation of a musical, is out in the US on June 15 and sees Tom paired up on the big screen with costars Julianne Hough, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, and many more. Tom spoke with the publication about his desire to make a musical at this point in his career, as well as his background in music. He apparently even suggested an addition to the cast to director Adam Shankman. Here are highlights from Tom Cruise's interview in W:

On growing up singing: "I did the scene from Risky Business around the house. I would sing Bob Seger - my mother worked, my sisters were out, and I'd turn the music up. I learned how to dance watching Soul Train. I noticed that if a guy could dance, he'd get a lot of attention and girls would want to dance with him. I worked very hard at imitating those moves."
On making a musical at this point in his career: "Kate [Holmes] loves musicals. She sings and dances, and we kind of went through the history of musicals together. And Suri loved Hairspray. With kids, you watch everything over and over; I watched Hairspray 15 times with Suri. I thought Adam Shankman did a great job directing the movie, so I arranged to meet him and said, 'Where's our musical?' He came back and said, 'Rock of Ages.' We went and saw it in LA, and for me . . . I didn't know how to play the character like that. I had to find my own Stacee Jaxx."
On taking vocal lessons: "I needed to find out if I could really sing! . . . And then I had to learn how to play guitar. I'm very good at air guitar - and air drums - but I had never played an actual guitar. After working for weeks on Stacee’s technical skills, I was thinking about the character, and I said, 'You know what? I need a monkey.' Adam said, 'What the f-ck are you talking about?' And I said, 'I'm serious - I need a monkey.' When Stacee's not on stage, he's kind of sad. And I thought, 'This guy has to have a monkey that's his best friend.' Adam found this baboon. He sent me the baboon’s audition tape, and I said, 'The baboon's name has to be Hey Man [laughs].' Stacee Jaxx doesn't work without Hey Man."

Carey Mulligan Tells W About Facing Her Nude Scene Fears in Shame

Allie Merriam — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:54:25 PST

Carey Mulligan shows some skin on the cover of W's January 2012 issue. She's been off in Australia working on The Great Gatsby with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, but it's her most recent release, Shame, that she discussed with the magazine. The Steve McQueen-directed movie earned a NC-17 rating for its graphic sex and frequent nude scenes, and leading man Michael Fassbender has gotten a great deal of attention for the amount of time he spends in the buff. Carey also has her moment sans clothes, and she spoke about that, as well as getting the role and her start in acting, with the publication. Carey Mulligan told W:

On going nude in Shame: "I’ve never been comfortable with the idea of nudity . . . When it came to this, it just seemed so obvious that she is the sort of person who would have no trouble being naked in front of any family member, especially not her brother . . . I thought I had a week before the nude scene to go to the gym, but we shot it on my first day of filming."
On wanting the role in the picture: "When I read the script, I found it terrifying. My English agents sent it to me and said, 'There’s this amazing part.' For me, as an actor, it was sort of scary. I’d seen Hunger, which was done by Steve McQueen, the director of Shame, and I thought it was just incredible. And I’d always wanted to work with Michael Fassbender, who had been cast as the brother. So, I asked to have a meeting with Steve to pitch myself for the job."
On being dramatic as a child: "I would put my earphones on and sing along to soundtracks of musicals like Les Misérables. I’d act it out in the mirror and cry. When I was 11 or 12, I asked my parents about going to a performing arts school, and they said no. Although I did audition to be a presenter on a TV show called Dig It."

The Three Musketeers Cast Gets Candid About Kissing Scenes, Bonding Over Beer, and Working With "Orly"

Lauren Turner — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:04:00 PDT

We sat down with the cast of The Three Musketeers in London earlier this month to chat about their 3D action film, which hits theaters this Friday. Luke Evans, Ray Stevenson, and Matthew Macfadyen make up the movie's famous trio and they opened up about bonding while filming and training for their exciting action scenes. Logan Lerman gets in on the musketeer fun and strikes up a romance with Gabriella Wilde in the remake and the duo talked about their kissing scenes and working with director Paul W.S. Anderson. Watch now!

Paul W.S. Anderson on Working With His Wife Milla and "Devilishly Handsome" Orlando Bloom

Lauren Turner — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:04:00 PDT

Paul W.S. Anderson was in London to do press for The Three Musketeers at the beginning of the month, and we sat down with the director to talk about his 3D remake. He touched on working with his wife, Milla Jovovich, on the project and also shared his reasons for casting Orlando Bloom as a villain instead of a musketeer. The movie hits theaters on Friday so watch now!