James McAvoy: 'Gnomeo & Juliet' premiere & 'Mountain of Madness' updatee

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Actor Matt Lucas, left, producer David Furnish, actress Emily Blunt, producer Elton John, actor James McAvoy, actor Patrick Stewart and actress Ashley Jensen at the premiere of their animated film "Gnomeo & Juliet" at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. The comedy is a modern retelling of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" through the eyes of rival garden gnomes.

Source: The Baltimore Sun

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James McAvoy Says He Knows Nothing About Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘Mountain Of Madness,’ Yet

Despite being rumored to be in a showdown with Tom Cruise for the lead role in Guillermo Del Toro‘s upcoming 3D adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft‘s “At The Mountain Of Madness” and even being touted as the early studio favorite, James McAvoy has now revealed he’s heard nothing regarding the Del Toro project let alone anything about an offer to take the lead role of Dyer.

“Not at all, not at all,” said McAvoy, responding to questions of an approach by Del Toro and company. “I don’t know anything about the story, but he’s an amazing director. I would be very lucky to be able to work with someone like that one day.”

Read more at Indie Wire

New poster from 'Gnomeo and Juliet'

The new poster was released a couple of days ago and the film features the voices of James McAvoy as Gnomeo, Emily Blunt as Juliet, Jason Statham as Tybalt, Maggie Smith as Lady Burberry, Michael Caine as Lord Redbrick, and Patrick Stewart as William Shakespeare.

Brief 'Gnomeo and Juliet' interview with James McAvoy

World exclusive interview (via JMMB) with James McAvoy and his co-star Emily Blunt.

First official 'Gnomeo and Juliet' trailer

The trailer for animated film Gnomeo and Juliet has finally been released, and you can watch it below. You can also watch it in HD over at Apple Trailers. The 3D film stars James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Jason Statham, and Patrick Stewart.

The greatest love story ever told, starring...garden gnomes? In "Gnomeo & Juliet," Shakespeare's revered tale gets a comical, off-the-wall makeover. Directed by Kelly Asbury (co-director of "Shrek 2") and showcasing both classic and original songs by Elton John, the film features the voices of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt as Gnomeo and Juliet, who have as many obstacles to overcome as their quasi namesakes when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors. But with plastic pink flamingos and thrilling lawnmower races in the mix, can this young couple find a happy ending?

Gnomeo and Juliet is set to open in the US on February 11, 2011.

James McAvoy attached to 'Cloud Atlas'; distribution deal set for 'Gnomeo and Juliet'?

Several weeks ago, Production Weekly announced that James McAvoy and several other actors had been offered roles in Tom Tykwer's adaptation of Cloud Atlas. According to The Playlist, Tykewer was recently in LA, meeting with potential cast members and James McAvoy is now officially attached to the film. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, and Natalie Portman are also officially attached, but Ian McKellen's involvement is still up in the air. Cloud Atlas doesn't have any financing or studio backing yet, so the project is still a long way from production. Based on David Mitchell's 2003 novel, Cloud Atlas focuses on six main characters and spans across thousands of years - from the 19th century to the distant future.

On the Gnomeo and Juliet front, the 3D animated film has just completed a UK and Canadian distribution deal with E1. It's schedule to open in February 2011 in the UK and Canada. Meanwhile, Disney will be distributing the film in America on February 11, 2011.

James McAvoy (Gnomeo), Emily Blunt (Juliet), Matt Lucas (Benny), Maggie Smith (Lady Blueberry), Michael Caine (Lord Redbrick), Stephen Merchant (Paris), Ashley Jensen (Nanette), Jason Statham (Tybalt) and Ozzy Osborne lend their voices to the comic make-over of Shakespeare’s tragedy set in the world of warring indoor and outdoor gnomes. [Screen Daily]

James McAvoy gets animated

This hasn't been officially confirmed yet, but I thought James McAvoy fans would be happy about this.

Gregg Goldstein:

James McAvoy and Emily Blunt might soon discover the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence -- if you're a garden gnome in love.

The pair are in negotiations to play the title roles of Gnomeo and Juliet, a CGI-animated Shakespeare adaptation from Miramax and Elton John's Rocket Pictures.

The film will feature several John classics but not Kate Winslet; she was first attached to voice Juliet two years ago and fell out because of scheduling conflicts. Tim Rice also was approached to write original songs with his Lion King partner John at the time, but the soundtrack now will be filled with the performer's well-known hits and possibly a few new tracks.

In the loose and edgy adaptation of Shakespeare's play, McAvoy (Atonement) and Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) would play lovers from rival gardens. John, who is producing alongside his offscreen partner David Furnish, Baker Bloodworth and Steve Hamilton Shaw, is said to be pursuing big-name talent to voice supporting roles.

Rocket initially brought Gnomeo to Walt Disney Feature Animation, but several years later the project was dropped by incoming Pixar executives John Lasseter and Ed Catmull. Miramax president Daniel Battsek, who followed the project while at Buena Vista International, persuaded Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook to revive it at his specialty division in April 2006.

Kelly Asbury will direct from an original script by Rob Sprackling and John R. Smith. Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley and Mark Burton have worked on later versions of the screenplay. Now in the storyboard stage, production is expected to be completed by 2010.

McAvoy, repped by WMA and United Agents, had his first big-budget hit with this summer's Wanted. After a string of upcoming indies, the CAA- and Ken McReddie Associates-repped Blunt is expected to follow suit with The Wolfman in summer 2009.

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