Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg in Paramount Pictures’ ‘The Fighter’
Christian Bale may have picked up his first Oscar for his supporting role in The Fighter, but as Mark Wahlberg pointed out at the 2011 Spike TV Guys Choice Awards, he doesn’t have a trophy shaped like antlers. Accompanied by the real Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund, as well as director David O. Russell, Wahlberg accepted the Guy Movie of the Year award on behalf of The Fighter at the ceremony held June 4th in Hollywood.
While on the stage, Wahlberg thanked the troops and talked about his plans for a The Fighter 2. “We left out the Arturo/Gotti fights for a reason ’cause that’s for Fighter 2,” stated Wahlberg who plays Micky Ward. “We’re not gonna do Fighter 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, but we’re going to do 2. We’re going to do the Ward/Gotti trilogy.”
Christian Bale stars as Dicky Eklund, Amy Adams plays Darlene Fleming, Melissa Leo is Alice Ward, and Jack McGee is George Ward. The Fighter opened in theaters on December 17, 2010.
The Plot: For Micky Ward (Wahlberg), boxing is a family affair. His tough-as-nails mother is his manager. His half-brother, Dicky (Bale), once a promising boxer himself, is his very unreliable trainer. Despite Micky’s hard work, he is losing and, when the latest fight nearly kills him, he follows his girlfriend’s advice and splits from the family. Then Micky becomes a contender for the world title and he — and his family — earns a shot at redemption.
Friends star Jennifer Aniston was the recipient of Spike TV’s “Guys Choice” Decade of Hotness award at a ceremony held June 4, 2011 in Hollywood, CA. Wearing a sexy little black dress, Aniston counted back 10 years and was relieved the Decade of Hotness didn’t include the 1990s.
Aniston joked that during that particular decade, she had some pretty sketchy looks.
Dolph Lundgren, Sylvester Stallone, and Randy Couture at the San Diego Comic-Con (Photo Credit: Richard Chavez)
Sylvester Stallone’s getting back together with producer Joel Silver and Dark Castle Entertainment for another action film, with Walter Hill set to direct. IM Global and After Dark are backing the project, and Warner Bros Pictures is set to distribute.
Joel Silver produced Stallone’s Demolition Man and Assassins and is ready to team up with him on this action thriller. “Sylvester Stallone is an iconic action star the world over, and I’m thrilled to be working with him again. I look forward to joining with IM Global and After Dark in bringing this exciting new story to the screen,” stated Silver.
The still-untitled action film (which was at one point known as Headshot) is based on the graphic novel Bullet to the Head which “tells the story of a New Orleans hitman (Stallone) and a New York City cop who form an alliance to bring down the killers of their respective partners.”
Sung Kang (Fast Five) has been cast in a supporting role. Filming’s expected to get underway sometime this month in Louisiana.
Grammy Award winner Kelly Clarkson (and one of the most popular American Idol performers in the show’s history) supported the Boys & Girls Clubs of America with a benefit concert at the Highline Ballroom in New York City on May 25, 2011.
Tupperware Brands Corporation sponsored the event and Gossip Girl‘s Kelly Rutherford, Precious star Gabourey Sidibe, recording artist Ashanti, R&B artist Deborah Cox, and Cedar Rapids actress Alia Shawkat in attendance and showing their support for a good cause.
In addition to the benefit concert, Tupperware introduced a new line of Confidence merchandise designed by the founder of The Queen of E.vil clothing line Aimee David. The line is available for purchase on Facebook.com/chainofconfidence, with proceeds benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of America.
Beatles LOVE Show 5th Anniversary with Paul McCartney
The Beatles LOVE show at The Mirage Hotel and Casino celebrated its 5th anniversary with Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, Olivia and Dhani Harrison, and Sir George Giles Martin on hand for the festivities. Unfortunately for Beatles fans, Ringo Starr was out on tour in Europe and had to miss the celebration. However, Starr filmed a video message that played before the show began.
“George Harrison and Guy Laliberte had a chat at a party, and it’s still rolling on,” said Starr. “I feel like it’s one of those magic moments. George, who brought the idea to Apple, would have been pleased with the results and I truly think John would have, too. I mean, what’s not to like, it’s a really cool show.”
Other celebs showing up to take in the festivities included Slash, T-Pain, Rosanna Arquette, Patricia Arquette, Gayle King, Criss Angel, The Killers, Marcia Gay Harden, and Mark McGrath. The 5th Anniversary Show took place on June 8, 2011 with 19 of the original The Beatles LOVE show cast members taking part.
Sir Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison, Sir George and Giles Martin, Dominic Champagne, Gilles St-Croix, and Daniel Lamarre surprised the audience with a walk-on during the finale of “All You Need is Love.”
Sir Paul McCartney said, “As I said to George Martin at a rehearsal of the show in 2006, for me what is really strange about this is remembering writing these things, which is so little, little guitar, little piano, a little bit of paper and pencil on the back of an envelope, Sgt. Pepper or something. It is such a little process and now look what happened to it. It’s incredible.”
Yoko Ono Lennon added, “John would have been thrilled to see the success of LOVE after 5 years. In fact, he would have been proud of how his music has been presented so beautifully and successfully by the partnership of The Beatles and Cirque du Soleil. The Beatles’ family members are getting together for this occasion in Las Vegas to celebrate this momentous occasion, and I am happy to be here.”
4.3 million people have taken in the LOVE show since it debuted in June 2006.
I was hoping for a The Other Guys sequel, but there hasn’t been any recent movement in that direction. However, that film’s stars – Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg – will be getting back together for another comedy, according to Variety.
Ferrell and Wahlberg are signed up for Warner Bros Pictures’ Turkey Bowl, a football comedy from writers Robert Carlock and Scott Silveri. The two will also be producing through their respective production banners.
Turkey Bowl will find Wahlberg and Ferrell facing off as the leaders of “rival small-town football teams in an annual Thanksgiving Day game.”
Wahlberg’s been keeping busy with Seth Macfarlane’s directorial debut Ted, and he recently wrapped up work on the thriller Contraband with Kate Beckinsale. Ferrell’s got Casa de mi Padre awaiting release and will be working on Southern Rivals with Zach Galifianakis later this year.
The two companies responsible for bringing Neil Gaiman’s Coraline to the big screen – Focus Features and LAIKA – are back together again for a couple more projects.
From Focus Features:
The first of the duo, ParaNorman, will be released nationwide on August 17th, 2012. The second, yet-to-be-named, picture will be released nationwide in 2014. Following the groundbreaking Coraline, ParaNorman is only the second stop-motion animated feature to be made in 3D. Focus CEO James Schamus and LAIKA President and CEO Travis Knight made the announcement on May 4, 2011.
As on Coraline, Focus will hold worldwide distribution rights to the movies, and Universal Pictures International will release them overseas. Coraline is Focus’ second-highest-grossing movie of all time, with over $75 million domestically. The picture earned Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, and Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature Film; and was named one of the year’s 10 Best Films by the American Film Institute (AFI) with an AFI Award.
Currently in production, ParaNorman is being directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, from Mr. Butler’s original screenplay. Mr. Fell was the director of The Tale of Despereaux and Flushed Away. Mr. Butler was the storyboard supervisor on Coraline and storyboard artist on Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. The voice cast includes Academy Award nominee Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), Tempestt Bledsoe (The Cosby Show), Jeff Garlin (Toy Story 3), John Goodman (Monsters, Inc.), Bernard Hill (Titanic), Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air), Leslie Mann (Rio), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (How to Train Your Dragon), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In), and Elaine Stritch (30 Rock).
In the comedy thriller, a small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman (voiced by McPhee), who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he’ll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst of all, moronic grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.
Mr. Schamus commented, “Everyone at Focus is proud to be partnered with LAIKA again on their newest wondrous creations. Travis Knight is both an extraordinary businessman and a visionary artist who we know will shepherd these projects with imagination and originality. We’re thrilled to have ParaNorman as our next movie together, one which marries the stunning visuals of 3D stop-motion with a compelling, heartfelt, and funny story anchored by a terrifically relatable underdog hero.”
Mr. Knight added, “ParaNorman is a story of intense beauty and emotional truth. It’s audacious, has genuine heart, and is funny as hell. We’re incredibly excited to share this wonderful story with the world. And we’re privileged to work again with Focus Features, with whom we share a commitment to bold, distinctive, and enduring films. LAIKA and Focus are truly kindred spirits. James Schamus and his extraordinary team have built their reputation on original thinking, old-fashioned muscle, and an unerring fidelity to creatively rich and thematically challenging cinema. We’re thrilled to extend the relationship that began with Coraline and look forward to being a part of the Focus/Universal family for years to come.”
David Nicholls adapted his own bestselling book, One Day, for the big screen and fans of the novel can’t wait to see his ‘Em’ and ‘Dex’ come to life by way of Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway. The romantic drama, directed by Lone Scherfig, will open in theaters on August 19, 2011.
In addition to Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway, the cast of the PG-13 drama includes Tom Mison, Patricia Clarkson, Romola Garai, and Rafe Spall. Ken Stott, Jodie Whittaker, Josephine de la Baume, Heida Reed, Amanda Fairbank-Hynes, and Georgia King also star.
Official Synopsis: Emma (Hathaway) and Dexter (Sturgess) meet on the night of their college graduation – July 15th, 1988. She is a working-class girl of principle and ambition who dreams of making the world a better place. He is a wealthy charmer who dreams that the world will be his playground.
For the next two decades, every July 15th reveals to us how “Em” and “Dex” are faring, as their friendship ebbs and flows with the passing of the years. Through laughter and romance, heartbreak and exhilaration, they experience the grandeur of life. Somewhere along their journey, these two people realize that what they are searching and hoping for has been there for them all along.
Have you ever wanted to kill your boss? If so, then you should be able to relate to Horrible Bosses, a comedy that takes an extreme look at what employees could be pushed into doing when they’re pushed beyond their limits.
Starring: Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston, and Jason Bateman
Directed By: Seth Gordon
Release Date: July 8, 2011
Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 93 minutes
MPAA Rating: R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, and some drug material
Review: Read the full review
Official Synopsis: For Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day), the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses (Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston) into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con (Jamie Foxx), the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers…permanently. There’s only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them.
Horrible Bosses Cast and Characters:
Jason Bateman – ‘Nick’
Jason Sudeikis – ‘Kurt’
Charlie Day – ‘Dale’
Julie Bowen – ‘Mrs Harken’
Colin Farrell – ‘Pellit Jr’
Jennifer Aniston – ‘Dr Julia Harris’
Donald Sutherland – ‘Jack’
Kevin Spacey – ‘Harken’
Jamie Foxx – ‘Jones’
Selena Gomez has built up quite a fan following starring in the popular teen TV series Wizards of Waverly Place, and now she’s hoping those fans will follow her to the big screen with Monte Carlo. Gomez is surrounded by an attractive cast and pretty scenery in the romantic comedy, but will fans accept her in a more mature role?
Starring: Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, and Katie Cassidy
Directed By: Thomas Bezucha
Release Date: July 1, 2011
Genres: Comedy, romance, adventure
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language and some sexual content
Official Synopsis: Based on the Jules Bass book Headhunters published in 2001, Monte Carlo finds Selena Gomez playing a teen named Grace who’s mistaken for a socialite while on a trip to Paris. Flying off to Monte Carlo for a charity ball and auction, Grace and her friends find themselves involved in the search for a million-dollar necklace that goes missing.
