Tag: Mikael Hafstrom
New The Rite Trailer
A new trailer for a ghost exorcism-themed movie The Rite has been released.
The movie, which stars Anthony Hopkins, Colin O’Donoghue, Alice Braga, Ciaran Hinds and Toby Jones among others, is directed by Mikael Hafstrom from the sript by Michael Petroni (Possession).
This story is based on true events and centers on a disillusioned American seminary student who attends exorcism school at the Vatican and ultimately finds his faith through encounters with demonic forces.
Shanghai Movie Trailer
There was something strange about this project from the start. Good story, good director, great cast, but, still, a lot of difficulties for Mikael Hafstrom‘s Shanghai.
Chow Yun-Fat, John Cusack, Gong Li, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Franka Potente, David Morse, Ken Watanabe all star in this intense thriller set in Shanghai, that (if you remember) was not allowed to film in China.
Anyway, we finally have something interesting to share with you – an international Shanghai trailer. Enjoy this movie clip, and check the rest of this report…
Here’s the official Shanghai synopsis part: “Nothing is what it seems in this Casablanca-style international thriller set in the ancient Chinese city a week before the attack on Pearl Harbor. U.S. Secret Agent Paul Soames (John Cusack) has just arrived to investigate the murder of his best friend, only to become quickly immersed in a web of conspiracy and lies that beset the city.
Alice Braga, Ciaran Hinds and Toby Jones Join The Rite
Ok, we already had a little chat about Mikael Hafstrom’s adaptation of Matt Baglio’s novel The Rite, so you all remember that legendary Anthony Hopkins will star in this upcoming New Line/Warner Bros. supernatural thriller, along with Colin O’Donoghue, right?
Ok then, now we are here to report that Alice Braga, Ciaran Hinds and Toby Jones have joined the cast as well…
This story based on true events and centers on a disillusioned American seminary student who attends exorcism school at the Vatican and ultimately finds his faith through encounters with demonic forces.
Colin O’Donoghue Joins Anthony Hopkins in The Rite
You already had a chance to hear that Anthony Hopkins would be the part of an upcoming project titled The Rite, a supernatural thriller from New Line.
But now we have to update this report, and to add new name on this list, because young actor Colin O’Donoghue (you probably remember him from The Tudors) joined the team as well.
So, the whole project is based upon the book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Matt Baglio. And yes, you pretty much can guess that it is about the real-world practice of exorcism, so no wonder Michael Petroni is writing the script faithful to the original book.
“Shanghai” Movie Stills
Directed by Mikael Hafstrom, “Shanghai” stars John Cusak and features Asian stars, Chow Yun-fat, Gong Li and Ken Watanabe tells the story of an American who returned to the 1940s Japanese-occupied Shanghai to investigate his friend’s death and during his investigation he discovers government secret.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan stars opposite John Cusack and Ken Watanabe in the movie.
Cusack will play a friend who sets out to investigate and finds himself embroiled in a cover-up.
“Shanghai” goes to Thailand
“Shanghai” was not allowed to film in China. It has been said that the shooting of the film will be moved to another Asian location. The Weinstein Company’s drama has been set to be relocated to Thailand.
On the relocating, the production house’s co-owner Harvey Weinstein revealed that Thailand wasn’t the studio’s first pick for the re-location as the studio has considered other Asian locations including Hong Kong.
“Hong Kong doesn’t have the colonial era setting we need; it is difficult to find a building here less than 50 stories high,” explained the movie executive. “So we will be going to Thailand and, believe it or not, England.”
The film reportedly couldn’t take its principal photography in China because there are concerns from the China’s official about the script.
China has blocked ‘Shanghai’
China has blocked a Hollywood movie reportedly starring John Cusack and Gong Li from being shot in the country because of concerns about the script.
Luan Guozhi, director of international cooperation at China’s Film Bureau, declined to reveal the government’s concerns about the story for “Shanghai,” but said the filmmakers could make changes and reapply.
“We suggest they make some changes to the script and resubmit their application,” he said.
“Shanghai” is about an American who investigates his friend’s death in World War II-era Japanese-occupied Shanghai.
Zhang Ziyi and Ken Watanabe in ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’
Producer Mike Medavoy confirmed China’s decision to block the shoot, but didn’t give a reason for the denial.
