Laurence Fishburne To Star In Soderbergh’s Contagion
Laurence Fishburne (21, Armored, Tortured, CSI: Miami; NY, Las Vegas, The Matrix, Mission: Impossible III) is in talks to join Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow in Steven Soderbergh’s deadly virus thriller Contagion.
If his schedule works out, Fishburne will be taking on a “major role.” His role is said to be as big as all of the other actors.
No specific plot details, but the action-thriller takes place over four continents and centers on a terrifying deadly virus outbreak.
Damon, Winslet, Cotillard, Law, Law and Fishburne are going to “play an international team of doctors and scientists brought in by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) once a sickness outbreak starts.”
The script for Contagion was written by Scott Burns (The Informant! and The Bourne Ultimatum).
The movie will shoot later this year.
Warner Bros will be distributing Contagion and helping finance the $60 million budget.
Penelope Cruz, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn Present Oscars 2010
Penelope Cruz, Kate Winslet and Sean Penn will all present Oscars at this year’s ceremony.
Kate Winslet, Sean Penn and Penelope Cruz
Traditionally, the acting winners from the previous year return to hand out trophies of their own.
They will be among the many presenters at this year’s 82nd annual Academy Awards.
The trio – Cruz, Winslet, Penn – were chosen because they won awards in the acting categories last year.
Cruz won the ‘Best Supporting Actress’ prize for her role in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” Winslet took home the ‘Best Actress’ prize for “The Reader,” while Penn won ‘Best Actor’ Oscar for his role in “Milk.”
Penelope Cruz had been previously nominated in the Best Actress category for Pedro Almodóvar’s “Volver” (2006) and is up for an Oscar this year for her supporting performance in Rob Marshall’s movie-musical “Nine.”
Kate Winslet Will Enter Academy Award History
Kate Winslet will either win her first Oscar for her performance as a woman with a secret Nazi past in “The Reader,” or get the title of biggest loser for having been nominated for the coveted honor, and lost, six times! Winslet was nominated for “Sense and Sensibility” (1995), “Titanic” (1997), “Iris” (2001), “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004), “Little Children” (2006).
One more loss and she will be tied at six as Oscar’s biggest losing actress with Deborah Kerr (nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role) – “Edward, My Son” (1949), “From Here to Eternity” (1953), “The King and I” (1956), “Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison”, (1957), “Separate Tables” (1958), “The Sundowners” (1960) and Thelma Ritter (nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role) – “All About Eve” (1950), “The Mating Season” (1951), “With a Song in My Heart” (1952), “Pickup on South Street” (1953), “Pillow Talk” (1959) and “Birdman of Alcatraz” (1962).
Winslet, has already picked up two Golden Globes for her role as a German woman with a teenage lover and a secret in “The Reader” and as a frustrated 1950s American housewife in “Revolutionary Road.” She has also won BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Awards, and in emotional speeches, she has expressed shock at her wins after smiling bravely from her seat so often in the past.
The betting in Hollywood ahead of the February 22, 2009 ceremony for the world’s top film awards is that Winslet should be getting her acceptance speech ready.
“I think it is her time. When Academy members are voting, they are going to be thinking not just of “The Reader” but of “Revolutionary Road,” said Hollywood.com movie critic Pete Hammond, when talking about the two movies starring Winslet that were released within weeks of each other in 2008. “That is pretty daunting when you have two great performances like that back to back,” Hammond said.
The four other best actress nominees are Anne Hathaway as a resentful sister in “Rachel Getting Married,” Melissa Leo in border smuggling drama “Frozen River,” Angelina Jolie playing a mother searching for her child in “Changeling” and Meryl Streep for her role in “Doubt.”
“Kate has a solid lead. She is in a Holocaust movie, speaking with a foreign accent, she ages dramatically and she looks great naked – all key elements for a win,” said Tom O’Neil of awards website TheEnvelope.com.
Revolutionary Road Clip
We’re giving you the chance to watch one more clip from the Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio-starring drama “Revolutionary Road”.
Based on the celebrated novel by Richard Yates, director Sam Mendes‘ “Revolutionary Road” is the story of a young couple (Oscar nominees DiCaprio and Winslet) trying to find fulfillment in an age of conformity (mid-1950s). Trapped in a world of encoded convention, they dream without faith, as lies and self-deceptions build to explosive consequences.
Directed by Sam Mendes (Academy Award winner “American Beauty“), from a screenplay by Justin Haythe, “Revolutionary Road” stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet and features an accomplished supporting cast including Academy Award winner Kathy Bates, Kathryn Hahn, Michael Shannon and David Harbour.
BAFTA 2009 Full List Of Nominees
The BAFTA longlists included 15 contenders in each category, from which the five nominees were chosen in the second round of voting. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Frost/Nixon” led in the British Academy Film Awards’ longlists revealed last week, with 14 mentions each.
But the full list of nominees was announced and Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire” and David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” lead now with 11 nominations each. This full or short list were announced by Gemma Arterton and Hayley Atwell.
“Slumdog Millionaire” took four awards – Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score at 66th Golden Globe Awards.
Next best after “Slumdog Millionaire” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” are “The Dark Knight” with nine nominations, including a posthumous recognition for supporting actor Heath Ledger and Clint Eastwood’s “Changeling,” with eight.
“Frost/Nixon” has six nominations, “The Reader” has five and “In Bruges,” “Milk” and “Revolutionary Road” all boast four.
Kate Winslet has two nominations in the actress category for her “Revolutionary Road” and “The Reader.” She already picked up prizes for both roles at this year’s Golden Globes.
The nominees for the Carl Foreman Award for special achievement by a British director, writer or producer in their first feature are producers Simon Chinn (“Man on Wire“), Solon Papadopoulos and Roy Boulter (both “Of Time and the City“) and Judy Craymer (“Mamma Mia!“), writer Garth Jennings (“Son of Rambow“) and writer/director Steve McQueen (“Hunger“).
“The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas” collected nine mentions at the BAFTA longlist but missed out on any nominations.
Here’s the full list of nominees for the 2009 BAFTA Film Awards, which will be hosted by Jonathan Ross for the third year, will take place on February 8, 2009 at London’s Royal Opera House.
BEST FILM
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” — Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Cean Chaffin
“Frost/Nixon” — Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard
“Milk” — Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen
“The Reader” — Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Donna Gigliotti, Redmond Morris
“Slumdog Millionaire” — Christian Colson
DIRECTOR
“Changeling” — Clint Eastwood
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” — David Fincher
“Frost/Nixon” — Ron Howard
“The Reader” — Stephen Daldry
“Slumdog Millionaire” — Danny Boyle
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Burn After Reading” — Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
“Changeling” — J. Michael Straczynski
“I’ve Loved You So Long” — Philippe Claudel
“In Bruges” — Martin McDonagh
“Milk” — Dustin Lance Black
66th Annual Golden Globes (2009) Winners!
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association presented the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles.
Kate Winslet – 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards
“Slumdog Millionaire” took four awards – Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score. “The Wrestler” was the second most lauded film, with two awards (Best Actor – Drama for Mickey Rourke and Best Song), and Kate Winslet was the most lauded person, winning Best Actress – Drama for “Revolutionary Road” and Best Supporting Actress for “The Reader.”
Complete Winners at the 66th Golden Globe Awards:
Best Motion Picture – Drama
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire [movie info, trailer, poster...]
Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture – Drama
Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie – Changeling
Meryl Streep – Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas – I’ve Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road [movie info, trailer, poster...]
Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Drama
Leonardo DiCaprio – Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn – Milk
Brad Pitt – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler [movie info, trailer, poster...]
The Reader Quad Poster and 22 Minute Featurette
The Weinstein Company has debuted the first quad-sized poster for Kate Winslet ’s latest drama “The Reader.”
“The Reader” opens in post-WWII Germany when teenager Michael Berg becomes ill and is helped home by Hanna, a stranger twice his age. Michael recovers from scarlet fever and seeks out Hanna to thank her. The two are quickly drawn into a passionate but secretive affair.
Michael discovers that Hanna loves being read to and their physical relationship deepens. Hanna is enthralled as Michael reads to her from “The Odyssey,” “Huck Finn,” and “The Lady with the Little Dog.” Despite their intense bond, Hanna mysteriously disappears one day and Michael is left confused and heartbroken.
Eight years later, while Michael is a law student observing the Nazi war crime trials, he is stunned to find Hanna back in his life – this time as a defendant in the courtroom. As Hanna’s past is revealed, Michael uncovers a deep secret that will impact both of their lives. “The Reader” is a haunting story about truth and reconciliation, about how one generation comes to terms with the crimes of another.
There’s too a 22 minute featurette online for “The Reader” featuring the lead cast members Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes, producers, director Stephen Daldry and writers all talking about the film, the story, and each other, as well as the usual behind the scenes filming. Continue Reading…
DiCaprio’s Revolutionary Road Photos
Adapted from Richard Yates‘ (1926-1992) first novel, “Revolutionary Road” is an incisive portrait of an American marriage seen through the eyes of Frank (three-time Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio) and April (five-time Academy Award nominee Kate Winslet) Wheeler. Yates’ story of 1950’s America poses a question that has been reverberating through modern relationships ever since: can two people break away from the ordinary without breaking apart?
Second “The Reader” Poster
The folks over at Cinematical have debuted the new poster for “The Reader.” Tagline states: “How far would you go to protect a secret?“
The story opens in post-WWII Germany when teenager Michael Berg becomes ill and is helped home by Hanna (Kate Winslet), a stranger twice his age. Michael recovers from scarlet fever and seeks out Hanna to thank her. The two are quickly drawn into a passionate but secretive affair.
Michael discovers that Hanna loves being read to and their physical relationship deepens. Despite their intense bond, Hanna mysteriously disappears one day and Michael is left confused and heartbroken. Eight years later, while Michael is a law student observing the Nazi war crime trials, he is stunned to find Hanna back in his life – this time as a defendant in the courtroom. As Hanna’s past is revealed, Michael uncovers a deep secret that will impact both of their lives.
The Reader is directed by English filmmaker Stephen Daldry (Eight, Billy Elliot, The Hours). The screenplay was written by David Hare (Damage, The Hours) and is based on Bernhard Schlink’s novel of the same name Continue Reading…
“Revolutionary Road”
Directed by Sam Mendes (Academy Award winner “American Beauty“), from a screenplay by Justin Haythe, “Revolutionary Road” stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet and features an accomplished supporting cast including Academy Award winner Kathy Bates, Kathryn Hahn, Michael Shannon and David Harbour.
Adapted from Richard Yates‘ (1926-1992) first novel, “Revolutionary Road” is an incisive portrait of an American marriage seen through the eyes of Frank (three-time Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio) and April (five-time Academy Award nominee Kate Winslet) Wheeler. Yates’ story of 1950’s America poses a question that has been reverberating through modern relationships ever since: can two people break away from the ordinary without breaking apart?
Frank and April have always seen themselves as special, different, ready and willing to live their lives based on higher ideals. So, as soon as they move into their new house on “Revolutionary Road,” they proudly declare their independence from the suburban inertia that surrounds them and determine never to be trapped by the social confines of their era.
Yet for all their charm, beauty and irreverence, the Wheelers find themselves becoming exactly what they didn’t expect: a good man with a routine job whose nerve has gone missing; a less-than-happy homemaker starving for fulfillment and passion; an American family with lost dreams, like any other.
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