by Matt Blackwood, Jan 24 2012 // 7:30 AM
Over the past two decades, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens has almost been made into a movie several times. Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam tried for years to put the comic fantasy on film, but the infamously unlucky auteur (see the wonderful doc Lost in La Mancha) could never make it happen.
There has been talk lately of a possible TV miniseries, but many of the book’s fans still hold out hope for a feature. But who could bring Good Omens‘s outrageous characters to life?
Take a look at our picks after the jump.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Adaptation · Books · Casting · Comedy · Dream Cast · Editorial and Opinion · Fantasy · Features · Flickcast Presents
Tagged: Adaptations, Bill Nighy, book adaptation, Books, Bryce Dallas Howard, Casting, Edgar Wright, Gemma Arterton, Good Omens, Helena Bonham Carter, Jimmi Simpson, Jon Hamm, Matthew Lewis, Neil Gaiman, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Terry Pratchett
by Matt Raub, Jan 10 2012 // 7:30 AM
It’s never a good sign when a film gets pushed back over 6 months. It’s even worse when a studio like Paramount pushes 3 of their upcoming 2012 films back. That seems to be the case, as the mountainous studio has pushed back 3 of its releases. One of these releases is the upcoming 3D epic Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton.
According to an interview with Deadline, a studio exec for Paramount says this is all part of the plan to push the film overseas, but when a film gets pushed from March 2 to January 11 of the following year, it’s never a good sign.
“This should really set up the international,” a studio exec explains to me. ”Jeremy Renner’s international profile should be in great shape after being in Mission: Impossible 4 now, then The Avengers in May, then The Bourne Legacy in August. As this past weekend shows, January is great play time internationally, and we haven’t done too bad domestically in January, either.”
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Action · Announcements · Celebrities · Fantasy · Movies · News · Paramount · Sci-Fi
Tagged: A Thousand Words, Bourne Legacy, ed helms, Eddie Murphy, Gemma Arterton, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Jason Segal, Jeff Who Lives at Home, Jeremy Renner, Mark Duplass, Mission: Impossible 4, Paramount Pictures
by Shannon Hood, Aug 6 2010 // 7:00 AM
The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a twisty, provocative British thriller featuring a breakout performance from Gemma Arterton. You may have caught her in the recent popcorn flicks Prince of Persia or Clash of the Titans, two movies in which she is largely relegated to arm candy for the leading men.
It is refreshing to see the sultry actress show us the range of her acting prowess. As Alice Creed, she gives a gritty, brave performance that you won’t soon forget.
The film begins with two men meticulously preparing a room to serve as a temporary housing for a kidnapping victim. It seems that every tiny detail has been addressed. The room is soundproofed and padded, the bed is bolted to the floor, and the room has been stripped bare of anything that could be used as weaponry.
The two men don masks and drive an outfitted van to their victim, a one Alice Creed. Soon, she is shackled to the bed and stripped naked. It’s a difficult scene to watch, and horribly degrading.
It would be very easy to write off the movie at this early juncture as being yet another torture-porn genre film, but don’t be so quick to judge. That graphic and frightening scene sets up some interesting plot points for later, and makes better sense after you have the context of the whole movie behind it.
Fortunately, it is quickly apparent that the men have no interest in Alice sexually. They cloth her in a jogging suit they provide, and don’t seem to have much interest in actually harming her. Instead, they want to extort some money from her wealthy father, by making him pay a kidnap ransom.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Movies · Reviews · Thriller
Tagged: A Simple Plan, Clash of the Titans, Eddie Marsan, Gemma Arterton, J Blakeson, Martin Compston, Movie Review, Prince of Persia, psychological thriller, Shallow Grave, The Disappearance of Alice Creed, Thriller
by Shannon Hood, May 28 2010 // 11:00 AM
In Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Jake Gyllenhal stars as Prince Dastan, a former orphan who caught the eye of the king with a heroic deed, and was adopted into the royal family. Alongside his adoptive brothers he learns to fight like a warrior, but he is a bit scrappier that the other two, and can’t resist a good street fight from time to time.
He can nimbly traverse the city’s rooftops and his fancy footwork allows him to escape many a predicament that would have felled a lesser man. Prince Dastan is definitely supposed to be a throwback swashbuckler like Indiana Jones, or Richard O’Connell from The Mummy. Jake Gyllenhal almost pulls it off, but in the end, this story felt like a wanna-be Indiana Jones movie. Unfortunately, it comes up a bit short in every way.
The story begins when the Persian King believes that a neighboring kingdom harbors weapons of mass destruction, so they must invade and occupy the city. This will be Dastan”s big chance to to lead the army and prove his worth.
And so they invade the neighboring kingdom of Alamut under false pretenses. In Alamut, they encounter a beautiful, stubborn princess named Tamina, who takes a an instant dislike to Daston, but later, when Daston is accused of a committing a horrible crime, Tamina (Gemma Arterton, of Clash of the Titans) leads him to safety.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Action · Disney · Movies · Reviews
Tagged: Action, Alfred Molina, Ben Kingsley, Gemma Arterton, Jake Gyllenhaal, movies based on video games, Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time, Reviews
by Matt Raub, May 27 2010 // 9:00 AM
Earlier this week, we brought you three exciting new clips from the upcoming Disney blockbuster Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. We got our first look at the drama between Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Nizam (Ben Kingsley), as well as some of the immense action that the film plans to deliver.
Today, we’re bringing you even more. The screenplay comes from Boaz Yakin who was set to originally write the Batman Year One project directed by Darren Aronofsky. That film later became Chris Nolan’s Batman Begins. Also, the team of Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard helped move the Prince script along. They also wrote the script for Disney’s upcoming The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
In the clips today, we get our first look at Alfred Molina in the film, sporting a spiffy tan. Also, we get a bit more action and roof-jumping from Gyllenhaal’s Dastan, and a cool “Sand Trap” scene showing off some of the CG effects of the film.
Check out those clips after the jump. Catch Disney’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time as early as midnight tonight across the U.S.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Action · Disney · Fantasy · Movies · News · Video · Writers
Tagged: Action, Alfred Molina, Ben Kingsley, Boaz Yakin, Carlo Bernard, Disney, Doug Miro, Gemma Arterton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Movies, Prince of Persia, The Sands of Time, The Sorcerer's Apprentice
by Matt Raub, May 24 2010 // 8:00 AM
This week could mark the the continuation of an epic summer blockbuster season as Disney comes out of the box swinging with Prince of Persia. Robin Hood and MacGruber had pretty lame opening week’s, while Iron Man 2 and Shrek Forever After took home a nice chunk of change. Disney, along with Bruckheimer and most of Hollywood, believe they will continue that success with this Jake Gyllenhaal-starring vehicle.
In the film, Gyllenhaal plays Dastan, a character made famous by the classic side-scrolling video game Prince of Persia. The movie is set against an epic historical backdrop, with plenty of fantasy elements thrown in for good measure. Joining Gyllenhaal are Gemma Arterton (Clash of the Titans), Ben Kingsley, and Alfred Molina.
In the first three clips we’ve got for you (that’s right, there will be more), Dastan and Nizam (Kingsley) prepare for battle, we get some nighttime sneak attacks, and Dastan and Tamina (Arterton) have a lover’s quarrel.
Check out the clips after the jump, and catch Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in theaters Friday, May 28th.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Action · Disney · Drama · Fantasy · Movies · News · Video
Tagged: Alfred Molina, Ben Kingsley, Disney, Gemma Arterton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jerry Bruckheimer, Prince of Persia, Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time
by Shannon Hood, Apr 1 2010 // 12:00 PM
The original Clash of the Titans (1981) was cheesy and offered substandard special effects, but it had a certain inherent charm, making it almost irresistible on cable television. I can’t recall a time when I stumbled across the movie and changed the channel. It’s an iconic fantasy film, and embraced for its intentions, despite the fact it failed at many of those intensions. At least it meant well.
Clash of the Titans (2010) is going to become the whipping boy for the anti-3D conversion crowd, with good reason. This is the second major release (after Alice in Wonderland) that has been converted to 3D post production, and the 3D is truly awful. There was absolutely no reason for this movie to be 3D, aside from trying to squeeze some extra money out of gullible ticket purchasers.
I can’t believe people are actually going to shell out an extra 5 bucks for an “enhancement” that is distracting, annoying and intolerable. Characters are out of focus,with tracers dancing about them. The 3D would detract from even the best of films, but this movie doesn’t even merit a “mediocre.” It’s crap, with a cherry on top, only that cherry is rotten and renders the whole mess unpalatable. What a disappointment.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: 3-D · Fantasy · Movies · Reviews
Tagged: 3D, Action, Clash of the Titans, Fantasy, Gemma Arterton, Kraken, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Reviews, Sam Worthington
by Chris Ullrich, Feb 5 2010 // 4:00 PM
Much like the shark was in Jaws, I tend to think cool monsters should be left in the shadows and revealed at the last possible moment. I think that definitely should apply to a creature like the Kraken. Apparently, the studio in charge of the upcoming Clash of the Titans movie, Warner Bros. to be exact, doesn’t agree.
In fact, they’ve let the cat, er Kraken, out of the bag way early, in the form of a new poster released exclusively by the folks at UGO. In this latest poster, the Kraken looms large and Perseus is, well, looking rather small. In fact, it looks like he’s about to become a nice late afternoon snack for the Kraken, complete with Pegasus chaser. Not a great way to spend your day.
Click through for a larger look at the new poster. In case you forgot, Clash of the Titans, directed by Louis Leterrier, stars Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Danny Huston and Gemma Arterton. It hits theaters on March 26.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Action · Fantasy · Marketing · Movies · News · Posters · Warner Bros
Tagged: 3-D, Action, Clash of the Titans, Danny Huston, Fantasy, Gemma Arterton, Liam Neeson, Louis Leterrier, Movies, Posters, Ralph Fiennes, Sam Worthington
by Joe Gillis, Jan 26 2010 // 11:00 AM
Many people are speculating that Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer’s upcoming Prince of Persia will carry on the financial mantle of the team’s previous franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean. After we took a look at the very first trailer, we’re now inclined to agree with that theory.
The film could also be what finally puts Jake Gyllenhaal on the map as an action star, which may be the logical next step in his career. Alongside Jake, the film stars Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, and Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace), and comes from a script by Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard (The Uninvited).
Disney just released three new character posters, showing off Kingsley, Arterton, and Gyllenhaal looking stoic. Even Ben has a bit of a photoshop’d twinkle in his eye for some reason. Check them out after the jump, and be sure to “Defy The Future” with Prince Of Persia: The Sands of Time on May 28th.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Action · Disney · Movies · News · Posters
Tagged: Alfred Molina, Ben Kingsley, Disney, Gemma Arterton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jerry Bruckheimer, Prince of Perisa, Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time
by John Muth, Dec 17 2009 // 12:15 PM
Louis Letterier’s new movie, Clash of the Titans, or as it’s come to be known on the Internet from the previously released trailer the movie where “Titans. Will. Clash” has a new trailer that finally gives me a reason to look forward to the film. No, it’s not Gemma Arterton, who will also be gracing us with her presence in Prince of Persia, or the giant CGI Kraken — though it does look cool.
No, it’s the appearance of Mads Mikkelsen, the cuddly villain that wept blood in 2006′s James Bond reboot Casino Royale. Clash of the Titans, written by the team of Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi (Aeon Flux and The Tuxedo), stars Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Pete Postlethwaite (Romeo + Juliet) , and Danny Huston (X-Men Origins: Wolverine).
Check out the brand new trailer after the jump, and catch Clash of the Titans in theaters (and possibly IMAX) on March 26, 2010.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Action · Fantasy · News · Trailers · Warner Bros
Tagged: Clash of the Titans, Danny Huston, Gemma Arterton, Liam Neeson, Louis Letterier, Mads Mikkelsen, Ralph Fiennes, Sam Worthington
by Sebastian Suchecki, Dec 11 2009 // 8:00 AM
While many of us were less than impressed with the first trailer for Clash of the Titans when it hit the web. It looked pretty, but mostly the line “TITANS WILL CLASH” left many people a little worried about how the studio would handle the Desmond Davis classic.
Recently, the Internets got their collective hands on the first posters from the film, showing off Sam Worthington taking down Medusa, riding Pegasus, and a cool new tri-fold poster. Warner Bros. immediately got wind and forced those on the web featuring the posters to take them down. Now it looks like the studio has “officially” released the images in high quality for our enjoyment, and they do look pretty cool.
Alongside Worthington as Perseus, the film stars Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Danny Huston (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), and Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace). Check out the full-sized posters after the jump for Clash of the Titans, hitting theaters everywhere on March 26th.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Action · Classics · Fantasy · Movies · News · Posters · Reboots and Remakes · Warner Bros
Tagged: Clash of the Titans, Danny Huston, Desmond Davis, Gemma Arterton, Liam Neeson, Movies, Ralph Fiennes, Sam Worthington, Warner Bros
by Matt Raub, Nov 4 2009 // 7:00 AM
We’ve been trying to cover the brand new Disney epic from the creators of the Pirates of The Carribbean trilogy, with the little promotional material that the studio has already released. That seems to have changed in the past few days, as the first trailer for the film has finally hit the ‘net.
The film, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Star Trek’s Gemma Aterton, is based on the classic action/adventure video game about a A rogue prince who reluctantly joins forces with a mysterious princess and together, they race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time—a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.
The film is directed by Mike Newell, director of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and also stars Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina. Check out the first full trailer, thanks to our friends at Trailer Addict, after the jump. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time hits theaters May 28th, 2010.
Continue Reading →
Posted in: Action · Disney · Movies · News · Trailers
Tagged: Alfred Molina, Ben Kingsley, Disney, Gemma Arterton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jerry Bruckheimer, Mike Newell, Pirates of the Carribbean, Prince of Persia