BuzzSugar

Buzz News Roundup, 6/24

BuzzSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:30:39 -0700

Zac Efron will star in and executive produce an untitled "sexy thriller." - The Hollywood Reporter
Bobby Cannavale will reprise his role on Cold Case. - TV Guide
Daniel Craig is in talks to star in Dream House, a psychological thriller set up to be directed by Jim Sheridan. - ComingSoon
Simon Cowell could become TV's best-paid star, topping Oprah. - Financial Times
After a decade of saying no, John Grisham has made a movie deal for his 1999 bestselling novel The Testament. - Variety
MTV has officially picked up Audrina Patridge's new reality show. - Entertainment Weekly
Fringe has cast Meghan Markle as an "attractive, brash" junior FBI agent. - The Hollywood Reporter
Craig Robinson, Heather Graham, Johnny Knoxville, and Camilla Belle will star opposite Kevin Spacey in Father of Invention, an ensemble comedy that Spacey is independently producing. - ComingSoon
Callum Blue will be Smallville's Zod. - E! Online

7 Hot Young Men With Hot Upcoming Projects

BuzzSugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:30:48 -0700

Move over Brad, Will, and George - there are some hot young actors racking up stellar movie roles and looking good doing it. Not only is this group of guys easy on the eyes, but they all seem serious about cultivating long and prosperous film careers. Some of these fellas have been kicking around Tinseltown for a while and some only recently broke out onto the scene in a major way. They're all names that are in demand and the following is a list of some of their interesting upcoming projects.

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Box Office: Zac Is the Man of the Hour

BuzzSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:30:05 -0700

Looks like young Mr. Efron is proving to be a bankable actor, as his movie, 17 Again, debuted at No. 1 this weekend, earning an estimated $24.1 million.

Meanwhile, Russell Crowe's political thriller, State of Play, came in second place with an estimated $14.1 million. Monsters vs. Aliens came in at No. 3, and it looks like there's only so much tween-love to go around, which might explain Hannah Montana: The Movie slipping from the No. 1 spot last week to No. 4 this week. Fast and Furious rounded out the top five.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Extra! Extra! Read All About Heartthrobs Making New and Interesting Acting Choices!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:30:25 -0700

How's this picture for a double dose of cute on hump day? Oh yeah - I went there. Anyhoo, there's some interesting casting news for both Zac Efron and Robert Pattinson right now that indicates both guys are looking to prove they're more than just pretty faces by taking on seemingly emotionally complex new roles.

Here's a quick breakdown:

Pattinson may star in a romantic drama: The project is titled Memoirs and "tells of two lovers whose newfound relationship is threatened as they struggle to deal with family tragedies." Most intriguing is that the original script for the movie will be reworked by Jenny Lumet, who wrote Rachel Getting Married. Pop wants to know who you think his leading lady should be.
Efron ditches Footloose for something less dance-y: According to Variety, Efron "is negotiating to re-team with 17 Again director Burr Steers on an adaptation of the novel The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud." Efron would play a young man who feels responsible for his younger brother's death and later meets up with his ghost at a cemetery to play baseball. Sounds sad and heart-wrenching. Wonder if he can pull it off?

Looks like both actors are looking to stretch their acting muscles and move their careers beyond the uber-successful franchises that turned them into household names. What do you think? Do either of these movies sound interesting to you?

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Link Time! 3/24

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:30:34 -0700

Help choose the ultimate '90s movie. - Best Week Ever
Some highs and lows from SXSW. - Pop Candy
Tina Fey and Megan Mullally love them some Conan. - Popwatch
Hooray! New pictures from Where the Wild Things Are. - Cinematical
Do you Hulu? - geeksugar
Emily Blunt talks about ditching Iron Man 2 for Gulliver's Travels. - MTV Splash Page
What are the best short-lived shows of all time? - TV Squad
Zac Efron out of Footloose remake: yay or boo? - PopSugar

Box Office: High School Musical Dances to No. 1

BuzzSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:00:23 -0700

We knew High School Musical was a huge television hit but now it's a bona fide silver screen success. The third installment of the perky Disney musical bonanza scored the top spot at the box office over the weekend, earning an estimated $42 million.

Meanwhile, Saw V did excellent business over the weekend as well, earning an estimated $30.5 million in the No. 2 spot. Variety notes that both titles were record breakers:

The top two films each entered record territory. Disney’s High School is by far the biggest musical bow ever, besting Mamma Mia! Lionsgate’s Saw franchise is within $2 million of eclipsing Friday the 13th to become the top-grossing horror series ever.

Max Payne and Beverly Hills Chihuahua came in at No. 3 and No. 4 respectively, with the top five being rounded out by the Ed Norton cop thriller Pride & Glory.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Have You Ever Seen a High School Musical Movie?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:45:56 -0700

High School Musical 3 hit theaters over the weekend, much to the delight of preteens and Zac Efron fans everywhere.

A lot of you said you didn't really understand the hype around this big-screen release, but given the movie's vast popularity, I'm still not really convinced. So, it's OK, you can admit it: Have you ever watched one of the High School Musical movies?

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Movie Preview: Efron and Perry in 17 Again

BuzzSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 05:30:21 -0700

Sure, 17 Again looks an awful lot like Big in reverse (or one half of Freaky Friday), but you know what? The trailer looks really cute. Matthew Perry plays a down-on-his-luck dad who gets the chance to be 17 years old again (this is where Zac Efron comes in). So, he enrolls in his kids' high school and befriends them. He learns that his daughter is dating a nasty boy and tries to give her advice.

The whole cast is super charming, and I'm actually most impressed with Efron who does funny really well - but without trying too hard or making it awkward. 17 Again opens April 17 (nice date/title match-up there). To check out the trailer, read more.

Bad Idea of the Week: High School Musical With Real People

BuzzSugar — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:29:52 -0800

I can understand how the people in charge of the making-money part of show business are blinded by dollar signs when anyone says the words "High School Musical." The Disney Channel's made-for-TV movie starring Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens is a goliath that quickly moved from a massive ratings success to a global franchise phenomenon. It's not surprising that the powers that be are eager ride this tween wave for all it's worth. However: a reality show? Really?

There's already plenty of HSM to go around with the original and HSM 2 on TV, HSM3: Senior Year in the works for Fall 2008, and the live stage production and ice tour currently making their way across America. Plus, actual high schools can now license the musical for performances, and Showtime is working on a documentary about the "cutthroat world" of musicals at Southern Indiana high schools. Might this proposed reality show - which would show young singers competing for a still-mysterious grand prize - be the point when even the most die-hard HSM fan just says no?

For more details about the show and why I think this is where the folks in charge should practice some restraint in the brainstorming room, read more.

Variety reports that while the deal is not finalized, some aspects of how the show would work are known and include:

A nationwide talent hunt followed by a group of contestants studying at a music conservatory to hone their skills
A summer airdate on ABC
Weekly eliminations of contestants
A grand prize - though the prize itself is still confidential.
Appearances by franchise stars (does that include the ice skaters?)

I'm probably not the demographic ABC is targeting for a show like this, and I realize there are others who could be entertained by this concept. However, I've generally come to believe that giving the reality tretament to popular musicals should be avoided (thanks to Grease: You're the One That I Want for that lesson). Issues of HSM overload aside, I think people are attracted to these musicals because it allows them to escape to a sincere and earnest world where most problems can be solved with spontaneous bursts of song and dance. Reality show competitions are rooted in the exact opposite: a cynical place in which there are always winners and losers (and boatloads of drama), and no matter how hard you try, sometimes the cards just don't fall your way. The two just don't mix well, and I can't imagine millions of Americans lining up to watch young hopefuls Buffalo-two-step their way into oblivion.

Then again, maybe the HSM gravy train truly knows no bounds. I think this is one very bad idea, but what's your take?

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Can You Take Zac Seriously in a Song-Free Role?

BuzzSugar — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:00:27 -0800

While I kind of loved Zac Efron in Hairspray, I have mixed feelings about him in certain roles, like the main one in a remake of Footloose, say. Today there's news of more Efron casting, this time in a dramatic role: he's been tapped to play the lead in an independently financed film adaptation of Me and Orson Welles.

It looks like a pretty serious turn for Zac and what's more - there does not appear to be any singing or dancing. He clearly has the kind of charisma that works in upbeat musicals, but I'm not sure he can be taken more seriously than that. So I'm wondering: Can you see Zac in a role without the spontaneous bursts into song and dance?

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