December 2007 News Archive (Page 5)

Director Paul Thomas Anderson and actor Daniel Day-Lewis recently sat down with ComingSoon.net. The topic of their conversation?

There Will Be Blood, this pair's critically acclaimed Oscar contender:

ComingSoon.net: What was the inspiration and impetus for adapting the Upton Sinclair novel into a movie and for Daniel, this movie was written with you in mind, so what was the collaboration like and what was the challenge to play such a miserable pr*ck in this movie?
Daniel Day-Lewis: No challenge. (laughter)

P.T. Anderson: I think the arc goes like that (does a downwards sweeping gesture with arm) goes from miserable to more miserable hopefully. The inspiration for the movie first and foremost comes from the book. I'd been trying to write something, anything, just to get something written.

I had a story that wasn't really working that was about two fighting families and it didn't really have anything, just that premise. When I read the book, there were so many ready-made scenes and the great venue of the oilfields. Those were the obvious things that seemed worth making a film about, and the desire to work with Daniel certainly, once that presented itself as a possibility, certainly drove the engine for me to write it and to finish it and to get it to him.

Day-Lewis: I never really saw him as a miserable pr*ck, but I suppose… I don't know what the challenge is. The challenge, I dare say, is the same as it always is, which is to try and discover a life that isn't your own.

Plainview, as he came to me in Paul's beautiful script, was a man whose life I didn't understand at all. It was a life that was completely mysterious to me and that unleashed a fatal curiosity, which I had no choice but to pursue.

As previously, excitedly reported: Peter Jackson has agreed to produce The Hobbit and its sequel.

New Line has already decided that both films will be produced at the same time, in similar fashion to how the Lord of the Rings trilogy was put together. No budgets have been assigned the films yet because, as New Line's co-chair Robert Shaye put it: "You can't budget an idea."

As reported by Entertainment Weekly, MGM and New Line want to keep Jackson's involvement in the film as broad as possible, teasing that he may take up both writing and directing responsibilities. Jackson's manager Ken Kamins said his client won't be directing the films.

"Peter won't be directing because he felt the fans have waited long enough for The Hobbit. It will take the better part of every day of the next four years to write, direct and produce two Hobbit films," Kamins said. "Given his current obligations to both The Lovely Bones and Tintin, waiting for Peter, Fran, and Phillippa to write, direct and produce The Hobbit would require the fans wait even longer."

Directors Sam Raimi (Spider-Man), Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth), and Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men) are the names that come up as alternate possiblities, but no official creative decision has been made.

Jack White, lead singer of The White Stripes, stars as Elvis in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

Here's a clip of the portrayal:

We added six new photos to our Movie pictures gallery today:

Alec Baldwin will star alongside Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning in the movie adaption of Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper.

The 30 Rock star will play the attorney who represents a child (Elle Fanning) after she sues her parents for emancipation. The grounds? They bred her to be a genetic match who could prolong the life of her cancer-ridden sister (Dakota Fanning).

The girl's mother (Cameron Diaz) is a former trial lawyer and represents herself in court.

If you ask us, it should almost be illegal for George Clooney and John Krasinski to star in a movie together.

Women will be lining up around the block for Leatherheads. Fortunately, the film is about football. So both genders should be satisfied.

Here's its trailer:

Remember when we reported that Camila Sodi was set to play Bulma in the Dragon Ball film? Ok, now forget that.

Emmy Rossum has actually nabbed the part.

Rossum is most famous for roles in Poseidon and Phantom of the Opera.

Bulma - who appears in Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z - is the nagging and temperamental daughter of Dr. Briefs. She's a gifted inventor.

June Raphael is in final negotiations to join the cast of Judd Apatow's biblical comedy Year One.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the young actress will portray Maya, a woman who gets romantically involved with Jack Black's character Zed. Superbad stars Micheal Cera and Christopher Mintz-Plasse are also set to star.

Raphael has made small appearances in Zodiac, Shut Up and Sing, and the TV show Flight of the Conchords. She also penned the forthcoming movie Bride Wars.

Assuming it finally gets made, The Hobbit will be the highest grossing movie in whatever year it's released.

And it's now confirmed that Peter Jackson will serve as Executive Producer of both the movie and its sequel. MGM and New Line will co-finance and co-distribute the two films.

"I'm very pleased that we've been able to put our differences behind us, so that we may begin a new chapter with our old friends at New Line," Jackson said. "The Lord of the Rings is a legacy we proudly share with Bob and Michael, and together, we share that legacy with millions of loyal fans all over the world.

We are delighted to continue our journey through Middle Earth. I also want to thank Harry Sloan and our new friends at MGM for helping us find the common ground necessary to continue that journey."

"Peter Jackson has proven himself as the filmmaker who can bring the extraordinary imagination of Tolkien to life and we full heartedly agree with the fans worldwide who know he should be making The Hobbit," said Sloan, MGM's Chairman and CEO.

"Now that we are all in agreement on 'The Hobbit,' we can focus on assembling the production team that will capture this phenomenal tale on film."

Khalid Abdalla stars as Amir, the main character in the movie adaption of The Kite Runner. He spoke to Rotten Tomatoes about the role:

Were you a fan of the book before auditioning for the role of Amir?
I always wish I could say that I read it before I was asked to audition for it, but I hadn't. I first heard about it when I was asked to audition for it. But then I read it immediately. I went out and bought two copies, in fact. I read it in a day and thought it was an extraordinary story.

You have a strong background in theater. How does that come into play when filming a feature, like United 93 and The Kite Runner?
Obviously there's a huge difference between the mediums, but essentially you're dealing with the same material. In some ways, it's a different way of expressing it and you've got different means to do so. As an actor, it feels kind if similar. But United 93, it was a totally unorthodox filming experience. Our average take was 25 minutes and our longest take was an hour and 15 minutes, which is kind of unheard of -- and it was entirely improvised.

I guess a theater background helped with that because you're running at it in long sequences, but each film comes with its own challenges. The essential thing that binds them all together is trying to tell stories for audiences, whether it's for theater or film. Being able to share my experience with people is what I love.

Read the full interview with the actor now.