News and updates on the work of Scottish actors around the world.
Thursday, 28 August 2008
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Wednesday, 27 August 2008
The immortal Kevin McKidd
When fans of the Highlander film franchise heard that the series was set for a reboot courtesy of Summit Entertainment, the first question they wanted answered was who would star in the film. Would it be the original Highlander Christopher Lambert, or possibly Adrian Paul the star of the popular TV series. If a JoBlo tipster is correct, the answer could be ‘none of the above’.Even if they don't use Kevin McKidd (and they would be crazy not to) they probably have no choice but to use a Scottish actor in the role.According to the site, Journeyman star Kevin McKidd mentioned on Dublin radio that the film’s producers had approached him about starring in the movie. McKidd is a Scotsman and Summit has said that they would like to take the series back to it’s medieval Scotland roots, so maybe that has something to do with the interest in McKidd.
The original Highlander film, starred Sean Connery and Christopher Lambert as members of a secret race of immortals fighting for the right to be the last one standing.
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Tuesday, 26 August 2008
First photo from I Love You Phillip Morris
McGregor plays Phillip Morris, and co-star Jim Carrey plays married man, Steven Russell, who is sentenced to three years in a Texas prison and falls in love with his cell mate Phillip Morris. When Morris is finally released from prison, Russell repeatedly tries to escape in order to be with him. The film is set for release in early 2009.
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Monday, 25 August 2008
Nim's Island and Deception on DVD
Here's a reminder for Gerard Butler fans and Ewan McGregor fans that Nim's Island and Deception are available on DVD today in the UK.Photo from www.ebay.co.uk
Weekly schedule for Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Tu 8/26: James McAvoy, Bengt Washburn (R 6/26/08)
We 8/27: Billy Bob Thornton, Lewis Black, the Boxmasters (R 6/19/08)
Th 8/28: Stockard Channing, Bill Engvall (R 6/11/08)
Fr 8/29: Mary Steenburgen, Criss Angel (R 7/18/08)
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Friday, 22 August 2008
Desmond is officially still on Lost
We're about six months away from the return of new Lost episodes, but thankfully we now know the fate of Desmond Hume. Well sort of. Matt Mittovich, a source from the Lost set revealed that Henry Ian Cusick, who plays, Desmond is indeed a cast member on season 5. Which means he hasn't been killed off, or sent back in time, or been eaten by the black cloud - though knowing Lost anything is possible. Everyone has their own theory about how Desmond will fit in-the best coming from here.Source
Photo from www.lostcastnews.com
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
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.Source
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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Getty Images Photo from www.thr.com
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
RocknRolla's Toronto Film Festival Premiere
RocknRolla will make its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thurs., Sept. 4. The screening will be held at the Elgin Theatre at 9:00pm.
I also found video of an Entertainment Weekly interview with Gerard Butler and his RocknRolla co-stars Jeremy Piven and Idris Elba. If you want to watch the interview go here and click on the label marked "October" in the top right corner and then select the RocknRolla video. Sorry people, EW won't let me embed the video.
Source: GB Net, IMDB, EW.com
Monday, 18 August 2008
New RocknRolla TV spot
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Empire reveals the DVDs you must own
This is not simply a list of 100 greatest films; to make the list a disc has to make the most of the DVD format, with either fantastic extras or an exceptional presentation.So here are movies with Scottish actors they included:
Weekly schedule for Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Tu 8/19: Rainn Wilson, Cory Kahaney, the Hold Steady
We 8/20: Jamie Denbo, Alfred aMolina, Salman Rushdie
Th 8/21: Tim Meadows, Betty White, Evan Handler, MGMT
Fr 8/22: Jeff Foxworthy, Chelsea Handler
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Friday, 15 August 2008
Who wants to see RocknRolla?
GBNet gives us this advice to get the movie in more theaters:
I've realised that there are a lot of Gerard fans outside of the US like me who would really like to see RocknRolla as well. Usually when a film is released in a lot of theaters in the US then it has a much greater chance of being released, or being released sooner in other countries so everyone get involved if you want to see the film.By now many of our visitors have read the article from the Los Angeles Times about RockNRolla and its limited North American release (3 cities on October 8 and 800 cities on October 31).
So, what to do? If you, your family members, your friends and everyone else you know want to see this “English film” in a theater near you, let’s start the campaign for that to happen now! With a cast that includes not only Gerry, but Idris Elba, Jeremy Piven, Chris Bridges (Ludacris), Tom Wilkinson and Thandie Newton, it would be a shame that more people would miss out on the chance to see this film on the big screen!
Consider voicing your support and we can send the message to Warner Bros. that this film deserves a wide release and a little marketing money! Let them know that we love “English films”! Use any or all of the links below!
>Comment on this post. No registration required. We will forward the post link to Warner Bros. so they can read your comments and feedback. Also register where you live in our RockNRolla state poll.
> Join our Facebook page and post us a message on our note about the film! Share it with your Facebook friends! (Registration required)
> Join the One Two RockNRolla MySpace and the Gerard Butler Dot Net MySpace pages. Comment, post links to them in your bulletins and blogs to spread the word about Guy Ritchie’s latest and how to show support for the film. (Registration required)
>Add your comment on Patrick Goldstein's blog at the Los Angeles Times. Always remember, calm, articulate and informed comments work best to get your message across. (Registration not required)
Stone of Destiny to close Toronto Film Festival
According to the festival's official site you can purchase tickets online at tiff08.ca, by phone at 416-968-FILM or 1-877-968-FILM or in person at the Festival Box office at Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor Street West (main floor, north entrance). Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Another film that will premier at the festival is The Brother's Bloom which stars Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane. Here's the trailer for you:
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Thursday, 14 August 2008
No wide release for RocknRolla?
Guy Ritchie's upcoming gangster film, RocknRolla, is due to be released by Warner Bros. in early October. So why was the film's producer, the inimitable Joel Silver, showing the film to executives at Lionsgate and Sony Pictures?According to my colleague John Horn, Silver said he was screening it for other studios to get their advice about marketing and release plans for the picture. You can imagine how tickled Warners' marketing staff must've been, hearing the news that the studio's top producer was out soliciting ideas about how to sell his picture from rival studios.What's going on here? I went to Warners chief Alan Horn for some answers:
RocknRolla was financed by Silver's Dark Castle Entertainment, which has delivered a series of low-budget horror films to Warners, including The Reaping and House of Wax. Silver's deal entitles his films to a 800-screen wide release, but Warners ultimately decides how much of a marketing spend it's willing to risk on the film. In the past, when Warners had concerns about a film's commercial prospects, it has tried a limited three-city release, supported with TV advertising, to gauge a film's reception in the marketplace. The results are rarely encouraging, which Silver knows all too well; Warners did a similar release in 2005 with the Shane Black-directed Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, a Silver-produced comedy thriller that got good reviews but never won a broader national release. It's no wonder a savvy producer like Silver would be approaching a studio like Lionsgate, which makes its living releasing edgy films like RocknRolla.
Horn was honest about his assessment of the film. "I think it's a well-made picture, but while it's funny in spots, it's very English," he said. "I don't think it's broadly commercial. It feels like a film that deserves a spirited release, but not a wide one. Joel has an 800-screen deal, which we'll honor, but we might not be willing to spend the marketing money he wants us to."
Horn shrugged. "I guess I'm in a shocking state of equanimity," he said. "The filmmakers have every right to do what they think is best in support of their movies. But we have the right to do what's best for Warner Bros. Sometimes the pursuit of those interests results in a disagreement. For now, we're preparing to release the film in October, but I don't see it starting out on 800 screens. If Joel is thinking there is someone out there willing to spend twice as much money as we're willing to, I'm sure he will pursue that."
I really hope Warner Brothers at least considers the mass appeal Gerard Butler has - they must have at least noticed the fan reaction to him at Comic-Con last month.
Source: Imdb, LA Times
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Want a piece of Ewan McGregor?
All glasses will be listed on EBay, the auction kicks off on Friday 15 August at 10am, and will end on Sunday 24 August at 10am.What would you miss?
The campaign also encouraged the participating celebrities to think about what they would miss most without their specs.
Ewan McGregor commented: “Without my specs I couldn't get around so safely and I couldn't see the beautiful colours of the world.” BBC news reader Kate Silverton was more pragmatic: “Without my specs I would have difficulty doing my job reading the news”. Writer Alan Bennett said: “I can see perfectly well but my face looks rather odd.”
The impact in the developing world
In developing countries it can be a challenge for people to get their eyes tested and buy a pair of glasses. This is often because there are too few ophthalmologists, not enough equipment and also people simply can’t afford prescription lenses. Not having glasses effectively renders people blind or visually impaired usually with disastrous consequences for their livelihoods, families, schooling and quality of life. Last year Sightsavers screened more than two million people across three continents to see if they need glasses, and we hope to reach even more this year. We can provide new glasses for as little as £1.50 per pair.
The lots available can be viewed and bid for at www.sightsavers.org/ebay. All glasses start from just £15, the equivalent of ten pairs of glasses in the developing world.
Source: SightSavers via ONTD!
Monday, 11 August 2008
The James McAvoy invasion
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The Movie Fanatic featured James on its list of Hollywood's 15 most sought after young foreign actors. Here's the part of the article that focuses on James:
"James McAvoy: He's the leader of the so-called Britpack, a fresh batch of talented British actors who are conquering Hollywood. Definitely one of the busiest actors today, James McAvoy seems capable of playing any role he chooses.Liz Hoggard's headline reads:Scottish actor James McAvoy has emerged as the front-runner in this band of highly sought-after performers. Slightly built, without the requisite Hollywood tan or dazzling white teeth (one critic unkindly called him "pasty") McAvoy, 28, has always insisted he never set out to be an actor. 'I only did it because I was allowed to do it and I had to do something." He was discovered as a teenager by the director David Hayman when he came to speak at McAvoy's school. The other kids were being disruptive, but James went up at the end and said how much he'd enjoyed the talk and asked Hayman if could do some work experience on his next film, perhaps make the tea. Four months later Hayman called him to audition for a role...
It's this perspective that has in part led him to make intelligent career choices - appearing in Shameless, then putting in a mercurial turn in the TV conspiracy thriller State of Play and most recently taking a leading role in The Last King of Scotland, in which he more than held his own opposite the eventual Oscar winner Forest Whitaker. Next up is a starring role in Joe Wright's adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel Atonement (scheduled for release in September). And yet what characterises him and many of the Mac Pack is that he appears genuinely unstarry despite his success."
With all his success, I'm often surprised at how James can walk around in broad daylight without having a giant mob chasing him down the street. Which probably speaks volumes about James' ability to totally hide behind every character he plays and then not be recognized in the real world.
Also don't forget to vote for James in the best actor category at the National Movie Awards.
Source: The Movie Fanatic
Photo from www.jamesmcavoyfan.com
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Weekly schedule for Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Tu 8/12: Kiefer Sutherland, Kate Mara
We 8/13: Craig Robinson, Ron Irizarry
Th 8/14: Ben Kingsley, Idina Menzel
Fr 8/15: Colin Hanks, Radha Mitchell
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Thursday, 7 August 2008
Stone of Destiny updates
Stone of Destiny has an official UK release date now - Oct. 10, 2008 so if any UK fans want to catch both Billy Boyd and Robert Carlyle go check out the movie.The film will also be screened in Sudbury, Ontario at the Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival which opens September 13, 2008. The complete festival schedule will be released in early September. I'm not sure if Billy or Robert will be attending, but if there's any news I'll be sure to post it.
Here's a synopsis of the film from Scottish Screen:
Photo from www.boyd-oh-boyd.net
Stone of Destiny, starring Charlie Cox (Stardust) as the young Ian Hamilton, with Billy Boyd, Robert Carlyle and Brenda Fricker, tells the story of four Scottish students who, in a daring raid in the 1950s, bring the Stone of Scone back to Scotland. The film is due for release in 2008, and is expected to generate a lot of interest in Scottish history and Scottish identity, which will in turn help to promote Scotland as a tourist destination in 2008.
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Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Gerard Butler in NYC
Source: Just Jared
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Gerard Butler's Nim's Island released on DVD
I just wanted to remind Gerard Butler fans that Nim's Island is available on DVD today in the US. UK fans can get the DVD on Aug. 25.Source
Photo from Yahoo! Movies
Slick new RocknRolla poster
Source: Gerard Butler dot Net
Monday, 4 August 2008
TV Guide's sexiest science fiction stars
Source: TV Guide via ONTD!
New photos of David Tennant as Hamlet
Weekly schedule for Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Tu 8/5: Regis Philbin, Paula Patton
We 8/6: Eddie Izzard, Colin Hanks
Th 8/7: Jack Black, Kate Mara, Conor Oberst
Fr 8/8: Toby Keith
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Vote for James!
James McAvoy has been nominated for Best Actor for Wanted at the second annual National Movie Awards. The deadline for voting is August 17, 2008 and you can go here to vote. The results will be announced at the awards ceremony in September and will air in the UK on ITV1. Source: Imdb, National Movie Awards
Photo from www.itv.com