FoxSearchlight Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Danny Boyle Knows Where He'll Spend '127 Hours'
Filed under: Action », Drama », Independent », Sports », Deals », Scripts », Fox Searchlight », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand »
After a year of speculation (Will it be James Bond? Will it be Maximum City? Trainspotting 2?), Danny Boyle has finally settled on his next project. Variety reports that it will be 127 Hours, the tale of mountain climber Aron Ralston. Boyle has been loosely attached to the project since June when the LA Times reported that Boyle and Fox Searchlight had signed a long term, best friends forever deal. Boyle has already penned a treatment, and Simon Beaufoy is in talks to write the script. In this age of flashmob media stories, you might have forgotten the tale of Ralston. Like your humble authoress and Balloon Boy, Ralston hails from Colorado. He became famous for a Utah climbing accident in 2003, when an 800 lb boulder shifted and crushed his hand. Ralston was forced to choose between life and limb, and in a stomach-turning story heard around the world, he amputated his own hand with a pocketknife. In the media frenzy that followed, Ralston was hailed as a hero and as an idiot, because he had chosen to go climbing alone and without notifying anyone. It was particularly intense locally, and I still remember the heroism debate Ralston sparked in my American Culture class. (It even inspired one student's final project!) Since those heady days of early fame, Ralston has enjoyed success with his autobiography, continues to climb, and is a motivational speaker.
The director is already on the casting hunt for the part of Ralston, which Variety declares will be "a plum job" because it will force an actor to work solo for most of the shoot. Below the jump, I've embedded a video of Ralston describing his amputation. Watch it to prepare for two hours of unflinching detail, and sound off on who you think should be lucky enough to act out a very painful 127 Hours.
What's the State of Fox Searchlight?
Filed under: Animation », Comedy », Drama », Independent », Romance », Awards », RumorMonger », Distribution », Fox Searchlight », Family Films », Oscar Watch »
In the 2007 awards season, Fox Searchlight had two strong films in the mix with Juno and The Savages, and then in 2008, they dominated with Slumdog Millionaire and The Wrestler. As many other indie arms were folding (Paramount Vantage, Warner Independent, Picturehouse), Searchlight managed to keep things up on their end.2009, however, hasn't been so kind to them. January's Notorious didn't do bad actually, though March's Miss March was indeed D.O.A. June's My Life in Ruins similarly underperformed, while July's Adam failed to catch on as that same month's (500) Days of Summer had. Post Grad was dumped in the doldrums of August, while Whip It failed to find a crowd in October.
Cut to now: Amelia has been effectively neutered as a ready-made Oscar contender, while Gentlemen Broncos (from the director of Napoleon Dynamite, which did particularly well for the same studio) is being pulled from wider release after this weekend after posting modest numbers on two screens and earning savage reviews for the most part.
With Miramax also facing tough times, it's a shame to see studios like these have an off-year, though there's time for a turn-around yet so far as Searchlight is concerned. Summer's summer release means the timing could work out to earn a push for Original Screenplay as a happy-go-lucky alternate to many dour contenders. This month's similarly light Fantastic Mr. Fox is an Animated Feature candidate at the very least, and -- according to THR -- the Jeff Bridges drama Crazy Heart is getting a last-minute test run of sorts at the moment to see if it can merit a move to be positioned for this year's race instead of next year's.
AFI Review: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Filed under: Animation », Comedy », Festival Reports », Fox Searchlight », George Clooney », Other Festivals »
It's not hard to like any movie that uses the Beach Boys' music, but Wes Anderson makes it especially easy. As Hollywood's foremost purveyor of hipster drama, his pedigree as a reliable selector of appropriately wistful, poignant and all-around unforgettable songs is virtually unrivaled, but Fantastic Mr. Fox exceeds even the work of his earlier films, using "Heroes and Villains," and later, "I Get Around" as populist punctuation that manages to be both specifically relevant and substantively rousing.
As an animated opus, the film is by necessity his most controlled to date, a painstakingly-designed dollhouse where he no longer controls just the music, sets, and costumes, but the performers themselves. Ironically, however, it feels like his loosest as well - a gloriously unwieldy comedy of manners submerged in the minutiae of Anderson's madcap creativity. All of which makes Fantastic Mr. Fox a celebration both of its stop-motion medium and Anderson's aesthetic, while still managing to fully document the spectacular fun in original author Roald Dahl's daffy, distinctive imagination.
'Arrested Development' Inches Closer to the Big Screen
Filed under: Comedy », RumorMonger », Scripts », Fox Searchlight », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »
We've run numerous Arrested Development stories since the series was canceled in 2006, and you can probably file this one in the same land of "Yes, sometime soon!" But it never hurts to keep fueling the fan fire, and remind Fox that we'd really really like the Bluths to return. It might be closer than we all think as according to The Hollywood Reporter, Mitch Hurwitz and James Vallely are actively working on a script for an Arrested Development movie. Hurwitz will direct the film. Hurwitz has said in the past that he wouldn't even begin to write a script unless all of the actors were committed, and THR notes that schedule conflicts remain one of the biggest hurdles of a big-screen Bluth reunion. But perhaps this is a sign that Hurwitz and Vallely know something we don't, and that the super careers the show spawned (notably Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, and Will Arnett) will leave enough of a gap for a movie.
When Cinematical caught up with Arnett in New Orleans, he confirmed there wasn't a script, but was optimistic that the film would begin shooting by the end of the year. "It's really just a matter of getting a script. I know that the studio is ready to go and everyone's kind of ready, but there's a lot of moving parts. There's a lot of people in the cast, a lot of schedules and stuff, but we're in that process now of figuring it all out, actively." Let's be optimistic and hope we see them start filming Arrested Development: The Movie by December or January. I just want my Bluths back!
Get Gun Practice With 'Gentlemen Broncos'
Filed under: Comedy », Independent », Fandom », 20th Century Fox », DIY/Filmmaking », Movie Marketing », Fantastic Fest », Trailers and Clips »
I've only been following Gentlemen Broncos from afar, and by that I mean it was on my "Sam Rockwell is in that so I'll see it sometime" list. Until today, I'm ashamed to say I didn't even know what it was about, or that it also features the sexy Kiwi known as Jemaine Clement. But Gordon and the Whale landed an exclusive behind-the-scenes video from Broncos, and it's so random and funny that I'm now going to obsess about this film for the rest of October. Especially because of Clement. I'm not over the loss of Flight of the Conchords just yet.
If you're as behind as I am, here's the official synopsis: "Benjamin, home-schooled by his eccentric mother, is a lovable loner whose passion for writing leads him on an offbeat and hilarious journey as his story gets ripped off by the legendary novelist Ronald Chevalier and then is adapted into a disastrous movie by the small town's most prolific homespun filmmaker." Sounds good, doesn't it?
This is video #7, and videos 1 through 6 are available on the film's official site. I don't know if they're all this funny, but I do know that you will find no better way to spend five minutes today. Watching Rockwell do anything is a blast, but toss in a ridiculous wig and a dubious activity known as "ray gun practice," and you can thank your lucky stars that the Internet was invented so we could while away our time with such footage. Gentlemen Broncos hits theaters on October 30. Those lucky punks going to Fantastic Fest this year will see it sooner. The video is below the jump. Be sure to visit Gordon and the Whale and say something nice, because they're good people.
Skate With This: First Trailer for Barrymore's 'Whip It'
Filed under: Action », Comedy », Independent », Romance », Sports », Fox Searchlight », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »
The trailer for Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, Whip It! has premiered over at Yahoo! Movies today and I think I'm going to give up film blogging and join the roller derby. I've always wanted to see a girl-oriented sports movie, and while my dreams were always pinned on ice hockey, anything on skates works for me!
Ellen Page plays Bliss Cavender, who rebels against her conservative, beauty-pageant loving parents to become a badass chick of the roller derby. She becomes a proud member of The Hurl Scouts, and does some fine elbow hits alongside Smashley Simpson (Barrymore), Dinah Might (Juliette Lewis), and Malice in Wonderland (Kristen Wiig). It looks like a fun combination of an athletic underdog story and coming of age tale, with some healthy dashes of romance and girl power for color. Plus the hair and make-up rocks!
Check out the trailer embed after the jump. Whip It! hits theaters on October 9, and I sincerely hope that it's the first of many directorial gigs for Ms. Barrymore. It looks like she's got a winner her first time out.
Ellen Page plays Bliss Cavender, who rebels against her conservative, beauty-pageant loving parents to become a badass chick of the roller derby. She becomes a proud member of The Hurl Scouts, and does some fine elbow hits alongside Smashley Simpson (Barrymore), Dinah Might (Juliette Lewis), and Malice in Wonderland (Kristen Wiig). It looks like a fun combination of an athletic underdog story and coming of age tale, with some healthy dashes of romance and girl power for color. Plus the hair and make-up rocks!
Check out the trailer embed after the jump. Whip It! hits theaters on October 9, and I sincerely hope that it's the first of many directorial gigs for Ms. Barrymore. It looks like she's got a winner her first time out.
The Trailer for 'Amelia' Takes Flight
Filed under: Drama », Romance », 20th Century Fox », Newsstand », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »
A biopic of Amelia Earhart is like every girl's dream come true. Did any woman not grow up idolizing her, spend hours covering her gorgeous flight jackets, and wondering just where her plane vanished to? She has a story just made for the big screen, and if there was an actress who could pull it off, I do think it's Hilary Swank. She has the physical resemblance, and I know she has the talent, if only because I still love her as Maggie Fitzgerald.
Unfortunately, I'm not seeing much promise in Amelia. The first trailer for Mira Nair's biopic has gone online at Yahoo! Movies. (I've embedded a version below the jump to make it easier, but be sure to go visit Yahoo! for the HD version.) While it's beautifully costumed and lushly filmed, it looks a little too teary and overwrought. Admittedly, my image of Earhart is one filtered through the Golden Age of celebrity, and I picture her as a flying Rosalind Russell / Girl Friday type. I've never forgotten a National Geographic blurb I read about her, which described her calmly powdering her nose after one of her plane crashes. That's the kind of biopic I want ... one that has humor and the adventure of the times, not one that's gloom and "You're going to die!" doom from the get go. I'll continue to hold out hope for it, as it has a great cast, and I want it to bring back 1920s and 30s fashion.
Fox Searchlight is Gonna 'Whip It!' Good
Filed under: Comedy », Fandom », Distribution », Fox Searchlight »
Roller derby diehards and grrl-power folks will be pleased to know that Drew Barrymore's directorial debut Whip It! has finally gotten a distributor and a release date: Fox Searchlight will be unleashing it in wide release on October 9th, 2009. Drew Barrymore is also an executive producer; her production company Flower Films is behind the release.Based on the novel Derby Girl by Shauna Cross, Whip It! is the story of a small-town Texas gal named Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) who channels her inner bad-ass with help from a roller derby league in nearby Austin. Cross is also a derby girl from Texas; her not-to-be-messed-with nom de rink is Maggie Mayhem.
Whip It! also stars Drew Barrymore as Smashley Simpson, Juliette Lewis as Dinah Might, Kristen Wiig as Malice in Wonderland, real-life stunt woman Zoe Bell as Bloody Holly, Eve as Rosa Sparks, and many more as derby grrls throwing elbows and jeers on eight wheels. Marcia Gay Harden plays Bliss's prim 'n' proper mom.
Although some people are hard on Ellen Page and her deadpan Juno vibe, I think she will be great as Bliss and frankly, I've missed seeing her face onscreen. I have to admit to skipping Smart People, and I've yet to catch The Tracey Fragments or An American Crime on DVD. (If you've seen either, please chime in! I'm curious about An American Crime, especially given the brutal nature of the story.)
So much girl power! Can audiences handle it? Judging by the screaming hordes of fans I've seen at any roller derby race I've been to, the answer is hell yes.
Cinematical Seven: Things The Rest of Us Can Do While Everyone Else Is At Sundance
Filed under: Documentary », Drama », Independent », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Awards », SXSW », Sundance », Slamdance », Sony Classics », Focus Features », Fox Searchlight », Cinematical Seven », Oscar Watch », Paramount Vantage »
1. Twiddle thumbs while waiting for bidding wars to break out -- So Senator Entertainment has already landed domestic distribution for Antoine Fuqua's cop drama, Brooklyn's Finest (they'll probably do right by it and sit it on a shelf right next to All the Boys Love Mandy Lane); now, it's just a matter of waiting for Fox Searchlight to snatch up their next sleeper in waiting, and for either Focus or Paramount Vantage to pick up the rights to something they can't quite turn a profit on *cough1* *cough2*. Modest comfort comes in the form of Searchlight already planning a late-summer release for 500 Days of Summer, and of Sony Pictures Classics reportedly calling dibs on Sam Rockwell's sci-fi drama, Moon. Keep those ears and eyes open, folks.
2. Monitor some seriously similar, sometimes simultaneous Twitter action -- For starters, there's our crew: Snider, then Davis, then Rocchi, and (lastly but not least-ly) new convert Weinberg. Then you have the Onion folks, your CHUD, the IFC one-two, the Spout reps, our HitFix homies, not to mention your /Film and your Film School Rejects and your First Showing (these fellas happen to be sharing accommodations, so expect much echo). Daily posts? Facebook status updates? Please. With a minute-by-minute play-by-play, who needs to go outdoors?
TIFF Update: Searchlight Grabs 'Wrestler'
Filed under: Drama », Sports », Deals », Festival Reports », Distribution », Fox Searchlight », Newsstand », Toronto International Film Festival »
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After a massive, all-night bidding war, Variety's Anne Thompson reports that Fox Searchlight has snagged The Wrestler for roughly $4 million, marking the first big purchase of the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. Following its Golden Lion win in Venice and a Toronto premiere that left folks buzzing up a storm, Searchlight, along with Overture, Lionsgate, Weinstein Co. and Sony, began bidding on the flick, which some say solidifies a sure-fire Oscar nod for Mickey Rourke. In the end, it would appear that Searchlight won out ... and after a very successful marketing campaign last year for Juno (which landed all sorts of recognition), it should be interesting to see what Searchlight does with this.
So far all the talk has surrounded Mickey Rourke, with folks calling him the comeback kid, what have you -- but not for nothing, I think we have a nice little comeback story for director Darren Aronofsky as well. Great vibes with this one; I look forward to seeing it. Remember when Nic Cage was signed on to this? Heh. Bangkok Dangerous. Double heh. Check out this preview video from Venice, and look for much more on The Wrestler from Cinematical in the next couple of days.
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