EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Ewan McGregor Talks 'Haywire'

I Am Rogue speaks exclusively with actor Ewan McGregor about his role in Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh's new revenge film Haywire, which opened in theatres on January 20th.


Source: Go!Rogue on YouTube





McGregor and Boorman keen for new series
Charley Boorman has revealed that he and Ewan McGregor are keen to make a third big biking series together.

The pair motorbiked 20,000 miles from London to New York via Europe and Asia for their 2004 hit series and book Long Way Round, and from John O'Groats to South Africa for the follow-up Long Way Down.

Charley said: "We've always spoken about doing a third series - maybe to South America - it's just a matter of timing. These things take a lot of time and commitment, so we need to get the diaries right and then I'm sure we'll head out."

The pair met in 1997 on the set of the film The Serpent's Kiss, and they hit it off immediately.

"We became very good friends. We both had motorbikes and we'd both just had our first child, so we had a lot in common. We ran motorbike race teams together and eventually started talking about the big trip."

Ewan has now moved to Los Angeles but Charley still sees him when they're in the same town and they speak regularly on the phone.

This year Charley will be doing a motorcycle tour of Africa, another Extreme Frontiers series in a different country and is also hoping to open a motorcycle clothes shop in London.

Source: UK Press Association

Ewan McGregor: Haywire poster, and Don Quixote news

A brand new international poster for 'Haywire', Steven Soderbergh's film starring Ewan McGregor, has been released.



Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas and professional MMA fighter Gina Carano also star in the action thriller.

The official synopsis reads:
Mallory Kane (Carano) is a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the dirtiest, most dangerous corners of the world. After successfully freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, she is double crossed and left for dead by someone close to her in her own agency. Suddenly the target of skilled assassins who knew her every move, Mallory must find the truth in order to stay alive.

'Haywire' is released on January 12, 2012.
See screenshots and trailer at Entertainment Wise




Ewan McGregor Leaves Terry Gilliam’s ‘Don Quixote’
While the documentary "Lost in La Mancha" drew many comparisons between Terry Gilliam and Cervantes' classical hero, who featured in the director's film "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote," the aborted making of which 'La Mancha' followed, it's perhaps not the most appropriate literary comparison. Instead, the project seems to be closer to Gilliam's white whale from "Moby Dick," an obsession that won't let go of the filmmaker, even if he wanted to.

We spoke to the director this week at the Marrakech Film Festival, where he was one of a number of figures being paid tribute to, and the director filled us on the latest on the project, which is still pushing forward, but unfortunately without one of the stars recently attached to it. When asked if the project was a dream, Gilliam quipped, "No, it's a punishment, it's a nightmare. Because it won't go away and at the same time we don’t have the money to make it yet. In a way, I’ve decided to not talk about Quixote, because everytime I talk about it and say, ‘I’m going to be doing it next year,’ it doesn’t happen.”

As Gilliam says, funding continues to be the issue on the project. "Well, we're always waiting for money. Everything is about money, and until you get the money…That’s the problem with films, the things that I’m trying to do cost $20 million dollars, maybe more. And if they’re made in Hollywood they would cost $80 million dollars. Big visions cost money, you have to create them and they cost money. So I’m in that very difficult financial slot. If you make a film for $10 million you get the money like that [snaps], or even 15. $20 million starts getting to a dangerous point."

Nevertheless, Gilliam did update us on 'Don Quixote,' saying that, sadly, Ewan McGregor is no longer involved in the project. "But Robert Duvall is! But we've got to hurry, because he's 82," Gilliam joked. Looking more optimistic right now is his Paul Auster adaptation "Mr. Vertigo," a project that's only eight months old, a fraction compared to the decade-long gestation of 'Don Quixote.' And the good news is, it seems to have reached the stage of Gililam trying to find his lead. "That's with a certain actor who is reading the script. There's always certain actors out there..." he told us, cryptically.

Read more at Indie Wire

Also reported by The Film Stage

Exclusive images from Steven Sodebergh‘s HAYWIRE

With director Steven Sodebergh‘s spy-action flick Haywire opening January 20th, Relativity Media has provided us with two exclusive images from the film. Staring MMA fighter Gina Carano as a burned spy who takes revenge against her handlers, Haywire also stars Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Angarano, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, and Bill Paxton. I caught Haywire last week at the AFI Fest in Hollywood and thought it was great. Especially the action scenes. While Carano’s acting still needs a bit of work, whenever she’s punching or killing, she’s fantastic. Haywire should definitely be on your radar.
Read more at Collider
You can also check out the latest trailer here.

HAYWIRE Official Poster

Synopsis: This dynamic action-thriller directed by Oscar® winner Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) boasts a talented cast that includes Channing Tatum (GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra), Ewan McGregor (The Ghost Writer), Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class), Antonio Banderas (The Legend of Zoro), Bill Paxton (“Big Love”), Michael Douglas (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps), Michael Angarano (Almost Famous); and introduces mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Gina Carano as Mallory Kane, in a demanding lead role that has her performing her own high-adrenaline stunts.

Mallory Kane is a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the dirtiest, most dangerous corners of the world. After successfully freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, she is double crossed and left for dead by someone close to her in her own agency. Suddenly the target of skilled assassins who know her every move, Mallory must find the truth in order to stay alive.

Using her black-ops military training, she devises an ingenious—and dangerous—trap. But when things go haywire, Mallory realizes she’ll be killed in the blink of an eye unless she finds a way to turn the tables on her ruthless adversary.

The movie will open in theaters on January 20, 2012.

Source: Daemon's Movies

First trailer for Haywire

The first trailer for Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire has appeared online. The movie stars Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas and Bill Paxton, however they are all in supporting roles. The lead belongs to Gina Carano, a mixed martial arts fighter who, by the looks of things, can also act.

Watch below:


Read more at Filmonic

Ewan McGregor Joining "Jack the Giant Killer"?

Ewan McGregor has joined the cast of Legendary Pictures and New Line’s Jack the Giant Killer, an adult retelling of the fairy tale classic Jack and the Beanstalk.

Bryan Singer (Superman Returns) will direct the film, which tells the story of Jack, a young peasant who leads a quest to free a kidnapped princess from the clutches of a giant. His actions threaten the unstable truce between humans and giants. Jack will be played by Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man), with McGregor playing the captain of the king’s guard and a fellow fighter against the giants.

Other cast members include Stanley Tucci (Easy A) as Roderick, an evil, ambitious advisor to the king and Bill Nighy (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1) and John Kassir (Castle) as the two-headed leader of the giants. Roles yet to be cast are those of the princess and the human king. Current frontrunners to play the princess are Australian actress Adelaide Kane (Neighbours) and Eleanor Tomlinson (Alice in Wonderland).

The script was written by frequent Singer collaborator Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects). Filming will begin this March in London. Jack the Giant Killer is expected to be released in 2012.

Source: BSC Review

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The Film Stage"'s most-anticipated films of 2011 include "Haywire", starring Ewan McGregor

'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]

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.

First reaction to 'Haywire'

Haywire (originally called Knockout), featuring Ewan McGregor, was recently screen tested at the Arclight in Sherman Oaks - director Steven Soderbergh was at the screening. Jeff Wells shared some positive feedback from a trusted source who attended the screening:

"The associations that came to mind were (a) any Bourne movie, (b) any Mission Impossible movie, (c) Taken, (d) Michael Clayton, (e) Wanted, (f) Panic Room, (g) Obsessed, (h) The Informant, (i) Body Of Lies, (j) Edge Of Darkness and (k) Red Eye.

...The fights are great. I've been in, and have personally choreographed, a lot of staged violence, and this was quality stuff. It does my heart good to see a young woman really kick ass. The brutality and desperation of the fights, in fact, at times seemed to appall more than thrill the audience, which is as it should be. As I write this (i.e., the following morning) I'm still thrilled."

You can head on over to Hollywood Elsewhere to read the entire assessment.

'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.

New interview with Ewan McGregor, 'Knockout' shooting in New Mexico

Ewan did an interview with The Scotsman to promote I Love You Phillip Morris which opens in the UK this Wednesday. It was first published on Saturday, March 13 and and you can read an excerpt below and go to The Scotsman for the full interview.

"I'd like to be Philip Seymour Hoffman's boyfriend. I think we'd make a good couple."

If the rule in Hollywood is that the closet doors must stay resolutely closed, then Ewan McGregor has just thrown them open to the soundtrack of I Am What I Am with a rustle of pink taffeta and a whiff of Dolce & Gabbana. He's not coming out, though. Of course he's not. McGregor's not gay; he's been married – to French production designer Eve Mavrakis – for nearly 15 years and they have three daughters (Clara, 14, Esther, eight, and Jamiyan, seven, who the couple adopted from Mongolia). But that's not what we're interested in here. Today, it's all about the boys. And, as it happens, if McGregor had to choose a "bf", Mr Hoffman would be the lucky fella.

"We'd look good, we'd look slightly odd and we'd go to interesting parties and people would be interested in us," says McGregor, clearly warming to his theme. "I don't know him, but I'd like to be his boyfriend."

If the subject matter seems a little unusual, the reason is McGregor's new film, I Love You Phillip Morris. A funny, tragic, quirky movie, written and directed by Bad Santa creators Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, ILYPM is an astonishing, absurdist, gay romance. [Claire Black]

Shooting on Knockout is expected to go on through Thursday in Los Alamos, New Mexico. There is no word on whether Ewan McGregor will be in New Mexico for the shoot, but here's the filming schedule:

Monday through Tuesday

Location – Based camp at West Road between the Ice rink and Camp May Road. Filming at State Road 4 near American Springs Road/Dome Road. West Road open to traffic. Intermittent traffic control at SR 4.

Wednesday through Thursday

Location – Empty lot in Ponderosa Estates. Base camp at the Golf Course parking lot. Intermittent traffic control in the vicinity of Aspen Drive near Parker Construction in Ponderosa Estates.

Ewan McGregor on the set of 'Knockout'

Here are some photos (via Best of Ewan) of Ewan and his co-star Gina Carano on the set of Steven Soderbergh's Knockout. I'm not sure what city they're shooting in, but it might be in Dublin.

Update: I got an email stating that the photos were taken in Barcelona, not Dublin. Thanks to chamuel for the information.

Ewan McGregor to shoot 'Knockout' in Dublin, French poster for 'The Ghost Writer', & Ewan narrates a new documentary

Ewan McGregor and Michael Fassbender are set to shoot Knockout in Dublin in a few weeks. There will be shooting on Dublin's streets and rooftops, and the city is specifically written into the screenplay. Ewan will play the owner of a private military company.

The French poster for The Ghost Writer is below:



Ewan is also narrating Charge, a documentary about the world's first zero emissions grand prix, the TTXGP, at the Isle of Man TT in 2009. Check out the film's trailer:



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Ewan McGregor cast in Steven Soderbergh's 'Knockout'? + 'The Ghost Writer' gets a release date

The folks over at The Playlist report that sources say that Ewan McGregor has been cast in Steven Soderbergh's Knockout, along with Micheal Fassbender, Dennis Quaid, and Michael Douglas. It hasn't been totally confirmed, but the people at The Playlist usually know their stuff. Soderbergh is scouting locations in New Mexico for the February production start date, and Ireland and Turkey might also be locations for the film. The film might be getting an August 2010 release date. A huge thanks to Magdaléna for pointing this information out to us on our Facebook page. Here's a synopsis of the project:

Ultimately, "Knockout" is now more of a revenge action-spy thriller. Essentially it's hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and especially one who kicks serious ass. Double crossed by someone on her own team, Mallory Kane (Carano)— a black ops super soldier — seeks to uncover who has set her up to take the fall for a job that goes bad and involves a murder.

The male actors are all part of Carano's special forces team. Douglas plays a government figure not unlike Chris Cooper or Brian Cox from the 'Bourne' movies. Fassbender and one other actor who has yet to sign-on officially (we've been asked not to say who because it's not 100% confirmed, but the actor is male and a fairly big name; though it's possible scheduling conflicts may prevent him from participating) play members of her commando spy unit, and one of these two plays the central antagonist that betrays Carano's character (this is still being kept under wraps for now). McGregor's role is that of the owner/guy who runs a Blackwater private military company-type group that the female fighting champion is is part of (and apparently many of the males take a beating at the hands of Carano).

...Soderbergh has been circling McGregor for some time now. The "Trainspotting" actor was originally pegged to have a role in the 'Ocean's' films, but his commitments to Lucas' "Star Wars" prequels unfortunately precluded his participation.

The Playlist also announced that The Ghost Writer, starring Ewan McGregor will open in limited release on February 19 in the US and will expand on March 5 and March 15.



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