"Beginners" trailer features Ewan McGregor & Christopher Plummer

"BEGINNERS imaginatively explores the hilarity, confusion, and surprises of love through the evolving consciousness of Oliver (Golden Globe Award nominee Ewan McGregor).

Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna (Mélanie Laurent of “Inglourious Basterds”) only months after his father Hal (Academy Award nominee Christopher Plummer) has passed away. This new love floods Oliver with memories of his father who – following 44 years of marriage – came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life.

The upheavals of Hal’s new honesty, by turns funny and moving, brought father and son closer than they’d ever been able to be. Now Oliver endeavors to love Anna with all the bravery, humor, and hope that his father taught him. "

From Focus Features, BEGINNERS will be released on June 3, 2011 (select cities).




Source: We Are Movie Geeks"

'Beginners' lands distribution deal + Ewan McGregor commemorates the Battle of Britain

Focus Features acquired Ewan McGregor's Beginners this Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival, making it Focus' first buy at Toronto. The film is likely to open in the late spring or early summer of 2011 and Focus Features will use approximately $2 million for marketing.

Ewan McGregor and his brother Colin visited (via Best of Ewan) RAF Cranwell in April to film part of BBC1 documentary The Real Battle of Britain which aired on Sunday, September 19. Ewan talked about making the documentary with his brother:

“The Battle of Britain was a dramatic turning point in the history of the Second World War and a defining moment in world history. It was a privilege for Colin and I to make this documentary; not only to mark the 70th anniversary itself, but to be able to pay tribute to the courage and sacrifice of those who fought during the battle”.

Ewan's brother Colin also attended a thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey for the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Colin who is in the RAF read a prayer at the ceremony:

“Let us pray for those members of the Royal Air Force, who through their vigilance and determination make it possible for planes to fly and defend these shores.

“For all mechanics and ground crew, for radar operators and engineers, members of the logistics corps, that inspired by the example of their forbears, they might continue to fulfil this vital service with skill and pride.”

A clip from the documentary is below.

New clips from 'Beginners' + Ewan McGregor's TIFF message

Making Of (via Best of Ewan) shares the very first clips from Ewan McGregor's new film, Beginners.





Beginners made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, but Ewan couldn't make it to the screening. His Beginners co-star Christopher Plummer read a message from him instead, which you can watch below.

Ewan McGregor talks 'Beginners'

The LA Times has a fascinating write-up about indie drama Beginners, which debuts at the Toronto International Film Festival this week. The profile focuses more on writer-director Mike Mills and the semi-autobiographical nature of the film, but there are a few quotes from Ewan McGregor as well:

McGregor described Mills as "the director I've been looking for for a long time," no minor statement from an actor who has worked with, among others, Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, George Lucas and Michael Bay. McGregor likened his working relationship with Mills to the one he had early in his career with Danny Boyle, when they made three films together.

"I tried to get a flavor of him, but he never really wanted me to play him," said McGregor from London of the challenge of taking on Mills' role in the filmmaker's own story. "And I did in the end do a kind of version of Mike, there's some physical things I suppose that come from him, but there's something more. What I tried to capture, which I hope I did, is his spirit. He's quite a sensitive, interesting man." [Mark Olsen]

TIFF schedule: 'Beginners', 'Bunraku', and 'The Conspirator'

Screening schedules for the Toronto International Film Festival are now online.

Beginners, with Ewan McGregor:

Saturday September 11
9:00 PM
VISA SCREENING ROOM (ELGIN)

Sunday September 12
3:00 PM
RYERSON

Sunday September 19
9:30 PM
SCOTIABANK THEATRE 1

Bunraku, featuring Kevin McKidd:

Saturday September 11
11:59 PM
RYERSON

Tuesday September 14
10:15 PM
SCOTIABANK THEATRE 2

Friday September 17
5:00 PM
SCOTIABANK THEATRE 2

The Conspirator starring James McAvoy:

Saturday September 11
6:30 PM
ROY THOMSON HALL

Sunday September 12
12:00 PM
RYERSON

Sunday September 19
2:45 PM
VARSITY 8

More photos of Ewan McGregor in 'Beginners'

The first photo from Beginners was unveiled last week, and now two more photos have surfaced. The film's world premiere will be at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. An official description of Beginners is below:

Five years after Thumbsucker, director Mike Mills returns to the Festival with
another winning indie dramedy that balances humour, sorrow and romance with
aplomb.
Beginners deftly juggles two chronologies to tell the heartwarming
story of two major points in the life of Oliver (Ewan McGregor), a talented
illustrator.

One timeline follows the slow-burning deterioration of
Oliver’s father (Christopher Plummer), who is dying of cancer. But his impending
death is not the only news that has caught Oliver off guard; his divorced
father, at the age of seventy-five, has also come out of the closet. Just like
that, he gets a new wardrobe, a new boyfriend and an entirely new outlook on
life.

Following his father’s death, a bereaved Oliver becomes somewhat
of a shut-in. As Beginners takes us through his personal journey, the film
flashes forward, intercutting a budding relationship between Oliver and a young
French actress (Inglourious Basterd’s Mélanie Laurent) whom he meets at a
costume party that he attends under duress. The twin narratives gradually reveal
subtle associations about how Oliver reacts to both these unpredictable
relationships, and how his father and girlfriend motivate him to surpass his
self-prescribed limitations.

McGregor and Laurent have natural onscreen
chemistry, and Plummer is outstanding in his rich portrayal of a dying man who
is finally able to live honestly, breaking out of his shell so near the end of
his life. The ensemble cast lends the film a warm, understated aura that never
feels the least bit contrived.

Mills is at the top of his game in
crafting dynamic mood pieces that steer clear of the usual trappings found in
American independent cinema. The outcome is a thoroughly enjoyable character
study about people opening up and discovering themselves despite age,
preconceptions and illness. [Jane Schoettle]

First photo of Ewan McGregor in 'Beginners'

After word that Beginners would have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, a brand new photo with Ewan McGregor and co-star Christopher Plummer has been unveiled via the TIFF website.

Toronto 2010 line-up revealed; includes 'Beginners' and 'The Conspirator'

The Toronto International Film Festival announced (via Awards Daily) part of its 2010 line-up this morning. Robert Redford's The Conspirator (starring James McAvoy) will have its world premiere at the festival's gala program and Mike Mills' Beginners (starring Ewan McGregor) will have its world premiere at the special presentation program. The 35th annual film festival runs from September 9 and September 19. The festival will announce more titles in the coming weeks and you can head on over to indieWIRE for the complete list from today's announcement.

Ewan McGregor and Mélanie Laurent on the set of 'Beginners'

Beginners completes shooting in mid-December and will be released in 2011. Here are some photos of Ewan and his co-star Mélanie on the set in Los Angeles yesterday:

Accidental Sexiness has even more set photos for you to check out.

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Ewan McGregor on the set of 'Beginners'

Above is a photo of Ewan taking what looks like a lunch break on the set of Beginners which is now shooting in LA:

Actor Ewan McGregor takes a break from shooting his latest movie - with what looks like a pair of tights on his head.

The 38-year-old Star Wars hero was snapped on the set of new flick The Beginners.

The dodgy headgear was to keep a wig in place as he filmed a Halloween costume scene in Los Angeles.

One eyewitness said: "Ewan was in character and was caught between scenes while having something to eat.

"He had just taken off his wig and it looks like he has a pair of women's tights on his head." [The Sun]

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Shooting location details for Ewan McGregor's 'Beginners'

Ewan McGregor has been shooting his new independent movie Beginners this week all over Los Angeles. There are some details about shooting over the past few days, and upcoming shooting locations:

The $3-million film, directed and written by Mike Mills, is among about 50 projects that received approval for tax credits under the state's new film incentive program.

The city figures prominently in the film. So far, the production has shot at Griffith Park, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and on Monday will move to Highland Park to film a Halloween party scene. The crew will also spend several days downtown filming at the Biltmore Hotel.

Even the city's Silver Lake dog park will have a bit part in the movie, location manager Chris Miller said [Los Angeles Times]

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10 questions with Ewan McGregor + Ewan presenting at the Hollywood Awards

Ewan did an interview with Time and answered 10 reader questions. Video of the interview is below. Thanks again to Magdeléna for sharing this with us on our Facebook page.



There's also footage of Ewan presenting the Hollywood Actress Award to his Amelia co-star, Hilary Swank at the Hollywood Awards on Oct. 26, 2009 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. The video was just uploaded a few days ago:



The Men Who Stare at Goats opened in 3rd place at the US box office over the weekend with approximately $13.3 million.

Ewan's upcoming film Beginners, which is reportedly in production in Los Angeles, has two new cast members - Goran Visnjic and Melanie Laurent.

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Ewan McGregor on the cover of 'Fantastic Man', 'Beginners' plot details, and new 'Amelia' photos

Ewan is in the fall/winter 2009/2010 issue of Fantastic Man. Photographed by Alasdair Mclellan in London, and styled by Olivier Rizzo:







Movieline has the script for Beginners, Ewan's latest film, and they share the exclusive plot synopsis:

McGregor plays a young man rocked by two announcements from his elderly father (Plummer)…one, that he has terminal cancer, and two, that he’s coming out of the closet. The role of Plummer’s handsome younger boyfriend has not yet been cast, but we’re frankly shocked that the famously gay-friendly McGregor (soon to be seen canoodling with Jim Carrey in I Love You Phillip Morris) isn’t playing that part instead.

Fox Searchlight posted some new photos from Amelia. I'll post the photo featuring Ewan, and you can head on over to Cinema Blend for the rest of the photos featuring Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, and director Mira Nair. Amelia is set to open on October 23.


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Ewan McGregor cast in Beginners

Production Weekly announced the casting via Twitter:

Ewan McGregor & Christopher Plummer to star in the Mike Mills' next feature "Beginners" filming next month in L.A.

Not much has been revealed by way of plot yet.

There's also a photo of Ewan and Eva Green on the set of The Last Word from Tuesday:

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