Walt Disney Pictures just released the final poster for the family comedy The Muppets starring Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog, and all the other familiar Muppets faces.
Set to hit theaters on November 23, 2011, Disney offered up this synopsis of The Muppets:
“On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets’ former stomping grounds.
To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary, and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate.”
Neil Patrick Harris plays an ad exec with a pregnant wife (Jayma Mays) and a house full of uninvited little blue visitors in The Smurfs (opening July 29, 2011). And in this interview courtesy of Columbia Pictures, Harris talks about the story, what’s going on with his character in the family-friendly comedy, working on a 3D movie, and which Smurfs characters feature prominently in the film.
The Plot: The Smurfs make their first 3D trip to the big screen in Columbia Pictures’/Sony Pictures Animation’s hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, The Smurfs. When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the Smurfs out of their village, they’re forced through a portal, out of their world and into ours, landing in the middle of New York’s Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down.
Happy Feet hit theaters in 2006 and brought in $41 million over its opening weekend, going on to gross $379 million before exiting theaters. It introduced the world to singing and dancing penguins and even won the Oscar for the Best Animated Feature Film (beating out the first Cars and Monster House). Now Warner Bros is revisiting the world of animated penguins with Happy Feet Two, set for release this November.
The sequel brings back Happy Feet voice cast members Elijah Wood and Robin Williams and adds in Pink, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon.
The Plot: Mumble, The Master of Tap, has a problem because his tiny son, Erik, is choreo-phobic. Reluctant to dance, Erik runs away and encounters The Mighty Sven—a penguin who can fly! Mumble has no hope of competing with this charismatic new role model. But things get worse when the world is shaken by powerful forces. Erik learns of his father’s “guts and grit” as Mumble brings together the penguin nations and all manner of fabulous creatures—from tiny Krill to giant Elephant Seals—to put things right.
George Clooney pulls double duty as director and star of the political drama The Ides of March. The R-rated thriller is based on the play by Beau Willimon and opens in theaters on October 7, 2011.
Ryan Gosling stars as Stephen Meyers, George Clooney plays Governor Mike Morris, Philip Seymour Hoffman is Paul Zara, Paul Giamatti is Tom Duffy, and Marisa Tomei is Ida Horowicz. The cast also includes Jeffrey Wright as Senator Thompson, Evan Rachel Wood as Molly Stearns, Gregory Itzin as Jack Stearns, Michael Mantell as Senator Pullman, and Yuriy Sardarov as Mike.
The Plot:The Ides of March takes place during the frantic last days before a heavily contested Ohio presidential primary, when an up-and-coming campaign press secretary (Ryan Gosling) finds himself involved in a political scandal that threatens to upend his candidate’s shot at the presidency.
Look, I’ll be honest. Crazy, Stupid, Love looked Kinda, Freaking, Meh. Yet another tale of a broken marriage in need of some saving while a host of supporting characters undergoes similar epiphanies in their own lives (*puke*).
It’s a plot we’ve all seen before, most of us could write the outline of the script down before the opening credits finish, and anyone who doesn’t know how it’s going to end should schedule an appointment with a medical professional. But no matter how good one may be at setting the appropriate expectation level, there’s a reason critics have to see all of a film in order to review it: because they just might be wrong.
And in the case of Crazy, Stupid, Love, I couldn’t have been more surprised to find out how funny, charming, and poignant the whole affair turned out.
As the film starts, Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily (Julianne Moore) are at a crossroads, having let routine and complacency infect their marriage. Their split leads to Cal meeting Jacob (Ryan Gosling), a womanizer whose good looks and smooth style match his flashy threads and washboard abs (a great actor and a male model, like I didn’t have enough insecurities already). Together, Cal and Jacob teach each other how to tap into the elements of themselves that have kept them from finding real happiness.
It sounds super cheesy … and it is … but the ride is so much fun. Carell and Gosling share remarkable chemistry and their scenes together work exactly how an odd couple pairing should. Playing Hannah, the girl who puts a stop to Jacob’s wild ways, Emma Stone is in top form and her off-beat humor and disarming beauty play off Gosling’s shiny facade wonderfully. Moore isn’t breaking new ground here, playing yet again the unfulfilled wife (it feels like she’s got that niche cornered), but Carell is so endearing and earnest that their partnership feels sincere, despite the formulaic arc to their characters.
Two young actors worth a special mention are Analeigh Tipton and Jonah Bobo. Tipton plays the babysitter with a crush on Cal, making his son Robbie’s (Bobo) crush on her all the more awkward. There’s a huge risk to this angle, as lesser performances would have sunk a major element of the film, but both play things just right and quickly steal the audience’s heart.
Now, I fully realize that a look at the trailer, and my apparent gushing, may not quite paint this as a must-see Summer movie. However, and I say this without any of my usual sarcasm, Crazy, Stupid, Love is one of my five favorite films of 2011, and anyone who deems themselves a fan of sublimely sweet and romantic comedies should make every effort to see this. It’s perhaps the biggest surprise of the year and reminds me that every new film is an opportunity for something special … even if my usually low expectations tend to be right more often than not.
It’s so nice to be wrong sometimes.
GRADE: A-
Crazy, Stupid, Love hits theaters on July 29, 2011 and is rated PG-13 for coarse humor, sexual content and language.
There’s a big switch-up going on at AMC’s The Walking Dead. Frank Darabont, the creative mastermind behind the show’s successful transition from Robert Kirkman’s comic to the small screen, will no longer be the showrunner for the series. AMC announced that in his place they’ve expanded the duties of writer and executive producer Glen Mazzara.
In the official statement, AMC said they were “grateful to executive producer, writer and pilot director Frank Darabont whose contributions to the success of The Walking Dead are innumerable. We continue to discuss his ongoing role with the series.”
The official announcement also confirmed The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman will remain on board as executive producer and writer on the series and will – according to AMC – “continue to steward the brand.” Gale Anne Hurd is also remaining in place for the second season as executive producer.
AMC plans a October 16, 2011 premiere of the second season of The Walking Dead.
Crime Scene Pictures says filming’s has just finished up on the comedy Gambit starring Colin Firth, Cameron Diaz, Alan Rickman, Sir Tom Courtenay, Stanley Tucci and Cloris Leachman. The Oscar-winning Coen Brothers, Joel and Ethan, wrote the screenplay and Michael Hoffman (The Last Station) directed the film.
The Plot: Gambit centers on British art curator Harry Deane (Firth) who devises a finely-crafted scheme to con England’s richest man and avid art collector, Lionel Shabandar, (Rickman) into purchasing a fake Monet painting. In order to bait his buyer, he recruits a Texas rodeo queen (Diaz) to cross the pond and pose as a woman whose grandfather liberated the painting at the end of WWII.
Mike Lobell (The Freshman, Honeymoon in Vegas) produces along with Crime Scene Pictures partners Adam Ripp and Rob Paris. Rizal Risjad and Philip Elway executive produce.
Tribeca Film has acquired distribution rights to The Last Rites of Joe May starring Dennis Farina and Jamie Anne Allman (The Killing), and written and directed by Joe Maggio. The film had its world premiere at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival and is set for an October release on Video on Demand as well as a theatrical run.
“I’m thrilled to have Tribeca handling the release of The Last Rites of Joe May,” said Maggio, commenting on the acquisition. “It’s a really personal film and Tribeca was so passionate about it, right from the beginning. I couldn’t have asked for a better fit.”
“Joe Maggio has imagined a character that resonates with subtlety and truth in addressing the realities of the final denouement of one’s life in The Last Rites of Joe May,” said Geoffrey Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises. “Dennis Farina delivers the performance of his lifetime with a realism and vulnerability that we haven’t seen before.”
The Plot: In the spirit of classic 1970s filmmaking, Joe May is the story of a sixty-something Chicagoan named Joe May, a short-money hustler of Rolex knockoffs and bootleg DVDs. Joe returns home from a lengthy hospital stay only to find that his landlord thought he was dead and rented out his apartment to Jenny (Allman), a single mom with a young daughter.
Begrudgingly, Joe accepts Jenny’s offer to share the apartment. Joe attempts to plot his comeback scheme with help from an old contact (Gary Cole), but instead, a domino effect gets everything going against him. With his health failing and resources dwindling, Joe is presented with one last shot at redemption in the eyes of a community that’s all but left him for dead.
Focus Features announced filming is now underway on the historical tale Hyde Park on Hudson starring Bill Murray and Laura Linney. Roger Michell (Morning Glory) is directing the film from a screenplay by Richard Nelson, with Focus Features aiming for a 2012 release.
Hyde Park on Hudson is being shot in the U.K.
In addition to Murray and Linney, the cast also includes Olivia Williams, Elizabeth Wilson, Elizabeth Marvel, and Eleanor Bron.
Focus CEO James Schamus said, “Filmgoers will be intrigued by this unique exploration of the all-too-human side of one of history’s great men. Roger is an actor’s director who will guide Bill and Laura through their playing of Richard’s script, which beautifully encompasses satire and drama.”
Film4’s Tessa Ross added, “This promises to be an extraordinary film; we have our dream cast and a great crew on board, we’re partnering anew with our friends at Focus, and we’re working once again with the exceptional Roger Michell. What a privilege for Film4 to be on this journey with them all.”
The Plot: In June 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (played by Murray) and his wife Eleanor (Williams) host the King and Queen of England (Samuel West) for a weekend at the Roosevelt home at Hyde Park on Hudson, in upstate New York – the first-ever visit of a reigning English monarch to America. With Britain facing imminent war with Germany, the Royals are desperately looking to FDR for support. But international affairs must be juggled with the complexities of FDR’s domestic establishment, as wife, mother, and mistresses all conspire to make the royal weekend an unforgettable one.
Seen through the eyes of Daisy (Linney), Franklin’s distant cousin, neighbor, and intimate, the weekend will produce not only a special relationship between two great nations but, for Daisy – and through her, for us all – a deeper understanding of the mysteries of love and friendship.
Katherine Heigl and Jon Bon Jovi in ‘New Year’s Eve.’
Just as he did with Valentine’s Day, director Garry Marshall has packed his New Year’s Eve cast with more stars than you’d normally see in six months-worth of films in theaters. Among the stars participating in Marshall’s latest romantic comedy are – in alphabetical order – Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Abigail Breslin, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Hector Elizondo, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Til Schweiger, Hilary Swank, and Sofia Vergara. New Year’s Eve hits theaters on December 9, 2011.
The Plot:New Year’s Eve celebrates love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts, in the intertwining stories told amidst the pulse and promise of New York City on the most dazzling night of the year.
