James McAvoy: Comic Relief, 'Welcome to the Punch' and 'Trance' news

James red-dy for Comic cash bash

Red-dy ... James McAvoy in Stella McCartney designed T-shirt

Movie star James McAvoy nose how to do his bit for charity — backing this year’s Comic Relief. The Last King of Scotland actor teamed up with designer Stella McCartney to show off her new range for the fundraising drive.
And 33-year-old Shameless star James posed in a T-shirt featuring comedy legend Tommy Cooper — complete with oversize specs and the charity’s famous red nose.
The range, on sale at TK Maxx, also includes images of The Beatles and Marilyn Monroe.

Read more at The Sun 

Welcome to the Punch Photos with James McAvoy and Mark Strong
IFC Films has provided us with four new photos from Welcome to the Punch, writer-director Eran Creevy's drama that takes us inside the London crime underworld. James McAvoy portrays Max Lewinsky, a detective who has missed every chance to put away notorious criminal Jacob Sternwood (Mark Strong). When Jacob pops back on the grid during a bank robbery, Max springs into action to lock him up for good. Take a look at these photos featuring Mark Strong, Johnny Harris, and Peter Mullan.





Welcome to the Punch comes to theaters March 15th, 2013 and stars James McAvoy, Andrea Riseborough, Mark Strong, David Morrissey, Peter Mullan, Daniel Mays, Johnny Harris, Steve Oram. The film is directed by Eran Creevy.
Source (including photos): Movie Web

According to Indie Wire ...

James McAvoy's Welcome To The Punch gets U.S. theatrical & VOD release In March
IFC Flims has given the picture a March 27th limited theatrical date with a VOD bow to follow three days later on March 30th.

Read more at Indie Wire



First Look: James McAvoy in ‘Trance’

Danny Boyle’s Trance stars James McAvoy as an art-auctioneer who nicks a painting but forgets where he put it – so he hires a hypnotherapist, played by Rosario Dawson, to find clues hidden in his brain.
It’s due out 27 March 2013 in the UK and Ireland and will have a limited release in the US from 5 April 2013.
Source: Showbiz Geek

WorstPreviews has all three posters here

Gerard Butler

Gerard Butler: 'Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury' voice actor
It was recently announced that Gerard will be lending his voice in the half-hour animated special Dragons: Gift Of The Night Fury, based on DreamWorks Animation’s How To Train Your Dragon, airing on December 17 on Fox.
Source: Just Jared

Gerard Butler to star in 'Dynamo'
Gerard Butler is to star in a new soccer movie.

The 300 actor - an avid Celtic fan - has signed up to appear in Dynamo, a true-life tale which chronicles an historic game between an occupied Ukrainian team and their Nazi captors during World War II.

The game - which was dubbed The Death Match - saw the Nazis pit a squad of well-treated German players against a starving group of Ukrainians with the expectation of an easy win. However, their opponents, spurred on by goalkeeper Nikolai Trusevich - who Gerard will play - fought back and ultimately inspired their entire city.

The film is based on Andy Dougan's book 'Dynamo: Defending The Honour Of Kiev' and has a script by Eli Richbourg.The project does not yet have a director in place, but Riviera Pictures, Beau Flynn of FlynnPictureCo., and Jeremy Garelick will produce. Pathé co-developed and will co-produce and distribute the film worldwide.

'Dynamo' will shoot in Europe some time next year.
Source: The National Ledger
Also reported by NME  Indie Wire and many, many more!


'Olympus Has Fallen' release date revealed
It was recently announced that Gerard Butler‘s upcoming film Olympus Has Fallen has been given a release date for April 5, 2013
Source: Just Jared

Ewan McGregor: new rom-com movie, and 'Jack the Giant Killer' update

Ewan McGregor to star in new rom-com directed by Peter Capaldi
And rom-com veteran Kate Hudson is in talks to star opposite him  

Ewan McGregor is to star in a new romantic comedy film directed by Peter Capaldi.
Capaldi has also written the screenplay for the film, which is titled Born To Be King. The Scottish actor-director, 54, is perhaps best known for playing sweary spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in BBC's The Thick Of It.

According to Variety, Born To Be King centres on the daily battle between the male and female leads on a film set. When an extra arrives bearing an uncanny resemblance to the male star, the situation becomes even more fraught.

McGregor will play the extra, while Kate Hudson - partner of Muse frontman Matt Bellamy - is in talks to play the female lead. Hudson is something of a rom-com veteran, having previously starred in genre favourites like Bride Wars and How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days.

The film is set to begin shooting at the start of 2013 in Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire. It will be Capaldi's first film as director, though he has called the shots on several TV projects, including acclaimed BBC hospital sitcom Getting On. 
Source: NME


'Jack the Giant Slayer' gets new name, moves to early March 
New Line and Warner Bros. have retitled director Bryan Singer's fantasy-adventure Jack the Giant Slayer from the previous Jack the Giant Killer.
Insiders say the new title is more family friendly. The movie, which will be rated PG-13, is based on the classic fairy tale and stars Nicholas Hoult as a young man who unintentionally opens up a gateway between earth and a race of giants.
The 3D event pic is also moving up three weeks, from March 22 to March 1, taking advantage of Neill Blomkamp's Elysium moving off the date and relocating to Aug. 9.
Jack the Giant Killer also stars Ewan McGregor, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane and Bill Nighy.
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Martin Compston: 'The Wee Man' release date

The Wee Man: Paul Ferris film set for cinema release in January

A hard-hitting feature film about the life of Glasgow gangland figure Paul Ferris is set to get a cinema release.

The Wee Man, which has a star-studded cast, will get a world première in Glasgow in January shortly before it hits screens nationwide.

Martin Compston, who shot to fame as a teenager in the Ken Loach drama Sweet Sixteen, has landed the key role of Ferris. John Hannah will play Ferris’s nemesis, Tam McGraw, in the film, which has been made and is being distributed by London-based Carnaby International.

The film, scheduled for release on January 13, was famously shot in London due to problems securing permission to film in Ferris’s home city from Glasgow City Council and Strathclyde Police.

It has been directed by Ray Burdis, who also made The Krays movie, with other stars including Star Wars actor Denis Lawson, Comfort and Joy’s Clare Grogan, and Stephen McCole, one of the stars of Neds.

The film charts the life of Ferris from his childhood in 1960s Glasgow and his rise through what the film-makers describe as the city’s “murky underworld.”

A spokeswoman for Carnaby International said: “The Wee Man follows Paul growing up an ordinary young kid with decent, hardworking parents in the notorious area of Blackhill, Glasgow and the journey through his teenage years to manhood.

“The story begins in the sixties. At the age of just 11, Paul has already learned that life on the street is tough. Everybody knows his place. Poverty breeds corruption, crime, violence and bullying.”

Ferris was famously cleared of murdering Arthur “Fat Boy” Thompson in 1992 after a jury delivered a not-proven verdict, but was later jailed after being found guilty of gun-running.

The film is based on the autobiography of Ferris, written after his release from jail in 2002.

• Watch the trailer for The Wee Man on YouTube

Source: The Scotsman

James McAvoy: movie updates

Trance set photos
This series of set photos gives us our first look at James McAvoy in Danny Boyle's current film project Trance. The photos were provided by Boyle himself on his Facebook page.  

The movie is a thriller that tells a story about about an art heist gone wrong, and it's also been described as having the same dark, sexy, hard-edged tone of Boyle's other films like Shallow Grave and Trainspotting.

The movie will be released by Fox Searchlight on March of 2013. As a fan of Boyle's work, I'm looking forward to seeing how this one turns out!
Source (with more photos): Geek Tyrant



Welcome to the Punch gets a release date 
James McAvoy is starring alongside the likes of Mark Strong in Welcome To The Punch, which is now lined up for a March 15th 2013 release date.  

Welcome To The Punch finds ex-criminal Jacob Sternwood (Strong) forced to return to London when his son is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives his nemesis, detective Max Lewinsky (McAvoy), one last chance to catch the man he’s always been after. As the two enemies hurtle towards an unavoidable face off, they start to uncover a deeper conspiracy they both need to solve in order to survive.

Written and directed by London born film maker, Eran Creevy, Welcome to the Punch was filmed across the London and was given unprecedented access to Canary Wharf.
Source: The Movie Bit
 James McAvoy film 'not humble'

James McAvoy has said his new thriller doesn't feel like a British movie.
The actor stars in London-based movie Welcome To The Punch, the second film by British writer/director Eran Creevy.
But X-Men star James told Empire magazine: "The script didn't feel like it had the humility and humbleness of a British film
"Don't get me wrong - I love British film and I love gritty, British drama. But we're not trying to go, 'This is the real world.' We're going, 'Here's a... rip-roaring, really emotionally powerful piece of entertainment,' you know?"
James plays troubled Detective Max Lewinsky in the film, due out next year, which also stars Mark Strong.
The director told the mag that James was prepared to make his character unlikeable.
"A lot of actors would say, 'I can't be seen doing this!' James is like, 'I'll do that. I want him to be arrogant and pig-headed and bitter'," he said.
Source: UKPA

'Welcome To The Punch' with James McAvoy gets 15 March 2013 U.K. release date

For fans of gritty British crime dramas, of which there are many, Eran Creevy’s Welcome to the Punch looks very promising. It’s got a top-notch cast of talent including James McAvoy, Mark Strong, David Morrissey, Andrea Riseborough and Peter Mullan, and a pretty crackerjack story, with the ingredients lining up for a promising picture. And while we wait for a stateside date, things are moving right along overseas.

While IFC Films picked up the rights for the film in the United States last week, Creevy has tweeted that Welcome to the Punch will hit cinemas on March 15, 2013 in the U.K. No word on what that means for the U.S. and other territories, but chances are pretty good we could see this one at Sundance or even SXSW in 2013. 

Based on Creevy's Brit List script, the story follows an ex-criminal who is forced to return to London from his Icelandic hideaway when his son is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives a dogged detective one last chance to catch the man he’s always been after.

Read more at IndieWire 

'Haywire' with Ewan McGregor gets official release date

A few months ago Haywire's release was rescheduled from January 2011 to late March or early April. According to The Playlist the film has now been scheduled to open on April 22, 2011.

Featuring an all-star cast including Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Bill Paxton, Michael Angarano, Matthieu Kassovitz and Antonio Banderas, the picture is a gritty spy thriller written by Lem Dobbs (”The Limey”) and starring Carano as a black ops soldier on mission of revenge after she’s double crossed by one of her team-mates...[Kevin Jagernauth]

Release dates: 'Fright Night' rescheduled, 'Single Father' on DVD

DreamWorks has moved the 3D remake of Fright Night (starring David Tennant) from October 7 to August 19, 2011.

Amazon (via David_Tennant) has Single Father's DVD release date listed as November 29 in the UK.

Brand new 'I Love You Phillip Morris' poster

The new poster with Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey comes out just in time for its December 3 North American released date.

'Single Father' to air week of October 9

The BBC released a press statement confirming that David Tennant's miniseries Single Father will premiere the week of October 9-15 in the UK. An exact date still hasn't been confirmed. Single Father will also be simulcast on the BBC HD channel. You can go here to read the full press release.

Ewan McGregor's 'Haywire' release pushed back

Back in June Haywire had been pushed to a January 2011 release by Lionsgate, but the film appears to have a new distributor. Overture will take over North American distribution, which means that the release has been rescheduled to either late March or early April 2011.

'The Conspirator' lands distribution deal + new TIFF portraits with James McAvoy

Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate have acquired The Conspirator for a Spring 2011 North American release. An official release date hasn't been confirmed yet.





A batch of TIFF portrait photos with James McAvoy have been released. The really cute photo of James and Conspirator co-star Justin Long comes courtesy of Life (via ONTD) and was taken by Jeff Vespa.

'I Love You Phillip Morris' to finally open in December

After months of delays, it looks like I Love You Phillip Morris will open on December 3 in North America. In the film, Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey play two inmates who fall in love in prison. U.S. indie distributor Roadside Attractions picked up the film after recently acquiring Alejandro González Iñárritu's Biutiful. The trailer is below.

'Burlesque' gets a fall release date

It's a bit of a slow news day, but Screen Gems recently announced the release date for Burlesque which stars Alan Cumming. The film is set to open on November 24 in the US. No MPAA rating has been announced yet. A detailed synopsis is below:

Ali (Christina Aguilera) is a small-town girl with a big voice who escapes hardship and an uncertain future to follow her dreams to LA. After stumbling upon The Burlesque Lounge, a majestic but ailing theater that is home to an inspired musical revue, Ali lands a job as a cocktail waitress from Tess (Cher), the club’s proprietor and headliner. Burlesque’s outrageous costumes and bold choreography enrapture the young ingenue, who vows to perform there one day.

Soon enough, Ali builds a friendship with a featured dancer (Julianne Hough), finds an enemy in a troubled, jealous performer (Kristen Bell), and garners the affection of Jack (Cam Gigandet), a bartender and fellow musician. With the help of a sharp-witted stage manager (Stanley Tucci) and gender-bending host (Alan Cumming), Ali makes her way from the bar to the stage. Her spectacular voice restores The Burlesque Lounge to its former glory, though not before a charismatic entrepreneur (Eric Dane) arrives with an enticing proposal…

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]

'Grey's Anatomy' gets a return date

The seventh season of Grey's Anatomy has reportedly been scheduled to start on Thursday, September 23 on ABC. Instead of the typical two hour season premiere the seventh season will be one hour instead.

As such, some of the questions going into September 23 are:

* How have Meredith and Derek bounced back from her miscarrying the little life that was inside of her for so sadly short a time?

* Where do things stand between Cristina and Owen? Yang entered the Season 6 finale not knowing where her man stood, only to see him pronounce her “the woman I love” during a harrowing moment. Has Hunt been backing up his words with actions? Is Teddy once and for all surgically excised from the mix?

* Lexie, poor Lexie: Has she given Alex the hook, seeing as his thoughts were all about Izzie as his life hung in the balance in the finale? Do she and Mark – who impetuously popped the question the week before the gunman crisis – have any chance at a second chance?

* Will Izzie return to Seattle, only to reveal that she is now married to Dr. Preston Burke?

* Is Arizona truly at peace with the notion of her and Callie mothering “10 babies on a beach in Spain”?

* Where stands Bailey’s nascent romance with gasman Ben – if only since Jason George is now shooting the Shonda Rhimes-produced midseason series, ‘Off The Map’?

* Was Webber empowered by his bit of bravado, where he stared down the shooter? Did that defining moment solidify his seat “on the wagon”?

* Now that Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew have been promoted to series regulars, how will Jackson and April fit into the SGH tapestry? Are their respective crushes (Cristina, Derek) behind them… or might there be unfinished business? [Matt Webb Mitovich]

'Fright Night' gets a release date

Shock Till You Drop has revealed that the Fright Night remake, starring David Tennant, will open on October 7, 2011. Fright Night will likely be in 3D, with filming set to start this summer in New Mexico.

Lionsgate to distribute 'Machine Gun Preacher'

Lionsgate has acquired the North American rights to Machine Gun Preacher, which stars Gerard Butler. Based on a true story, the film focuses on Sam Childers, "a former drug-dealing biker tough guy who found God and became a crusader for hundreds of Sudanese children who've been forced to become soldiers." Filming will reportedly start on July 5 in Detroit and South Africa. The film is expected to open sometime in the Fall of 2011.

'Knockout' renamed 'Haywire'; gets a 2011 release + Ewan McGregor at the Sydney Film Festival

Steven Soderbergh's Knockout (which stars Ewan McGregor) has now been renamed Haywire. The film had originally been scheduled for a release sometime this August, but it appears that Lionsgate has moved it to January 2011.

Ewan attended last night's Sydney premiere of The Ghost Writer at the State Theatre and talked to the press on the red carpet. There are also some photos of Ewan on the red carpet.

'Pimp' trailer with Billy Boyd

The official Pimp trailer has been out for a couple of weeks, so I've been a little slow in posting it. There have been reports that Gerard Butler helped to fund the film, which reminded me about it. My apologies for being slow. Anyway, the film stars Robert Cavanah, Billy Boyd, and Martin Compston and opens in the UK on May 21. It debuts on DVD and Blu-Ray on May 24.



Synopsis: Working for Stanley (Danny Dyer), Woody (Robert Cavanah) is a pimp, hustler and fixer in Soho's sex industry who agrees to be followed and filmed by a documentary camera crew for one week. However, it soon turns out to be no ordinary week; one of his porn directors is behind schedule, he’s kicked out of his apartment for not paying his rent and he’s beaten up by his landlord and by Chinese thugs who are encroaching onto Stanley’s territory.

These are the least of his problems, though, as he finds out when one of his girls, Petra, goes missing. During his frantic search for her throughout the seductive Soho underworld, Woody soon finds himself starting to question his whole life – a life he now finds is spiralling brutally out of control…

Featuring an explosive cast (including Billy Boyd, Scarlett Alice Johnson, Martin Compston and Barbara Nedeljakova), Pimp is a sexy, exciting and action-packed look at the darker side of London’s glamorous and dangerous nightlife.