JulianMcmahon Tagged Articles at Cinematical

After wrapping up The X Files, Gillian Anderson practically went into hiding. She's had a small handful of roles, some time in Bleak House, and that's about it. But maybe there's just something about X Files air that makes her feel like working and making the money. She's wrapped How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, and along with the X Files sequel, she's got a few other flicks on the way. There's No One Gets Off in This Town on her docket, and Variety reports that's she's now signed on for Kfir Yefet's The Smell of Apples.

Set in South Africa during the '70s, Apples is a coming-of-age drama based on Mark Behr's novel. Marnus Erasmus is a young kid from an affluent, white, South African family who grows in a house of "terrible hatred and ignorance." Yet he's also challenged by the events that happen around him, from a servant's son who is severely burned, to an aunt who is exiled for her liberal views. I imagine that Anderson will play Marnus' mother, and Julian McMahon, who is co-starring, will probably be the dad and "youngest-ever major-general in the South African Defence Force." Variety says the production, which will gear up in the new year, will be the first film from the partnership between Pink Sands, a UK production house, and the London-based Target Entertainment. But first, of course, Gillian needs to chill with aliens again for all of those Scully fiends out there.

How many J-horror remakes have we weathered in the past three years? Five? Seven? Boy is that a trend I'll be happy to see die ... but not just yet, apparently. Seems there's still a remake of The Eye due to hit theaters late next year, but before that we get Sandra Bullock starring in Premonition -- a flick that definitely seems to be a semi-kinda-remake of Norio Tsuruta's Yogen (aka Premonition) from 2004. That film, which clearly borrowed a few cups from the original Ringu, is about a phantom newspaper that informs people of tomorrow's bad news. Not a bad little entry into the J-horror canon, but a slight one nonetheless.

...actually, come to think of it, I'm beginning to suspect that these films have no connection. Based on this new trailer and the few plot synopses I've seen lying around, it looks like the only thing the two movies have in common is the title. My bad.

Anyway, Sandra plays a woman whose husband is killed in a car accident, only when she wakes up the next morning, he's (dun dun dun) still alive! Scary! The movie comes from German director Mennan Yapo and second-time screenwriter Bill Kelly. Co-starring alongside Ms. Bullock will be Julian McMahon, Amber Valletta, Nia Long, Peter Stormare and Kate Nelligan. Release date is March 16.

As we reported way back in August, Sandra Bullock, as part of her bid to appear in fewer stupid movies, agreed to star in Premonition, a supernatural thriller about "a housewife (Bullock) whose husband dies in a car crash and who is shocked when he appears alive the next day." Good call, Sandy - there's no way this one can be stupid. The dead/not dead hubby will be played by Julian McMahon who, given his experience as a demon husband on Charmed, should find this job a piece of cake. (Oh, wait - according to the IMDB, he's not dead, it was a premonition. Bummer)

Since the movie is currently filming in Shreveport, LA (they won't be put off by a little hurricane), it's a good thing that casting has finally been completed - joining Bullock in (not) being haunted will be Nia Long, Amber Valletta, and Kate Nelligan. Long is set to play Bullock's best friend, and Nelligan will be her mother. Valletta, needless to say, is the movie's designated Hot Chick, and will be having extramarital sex with McMahon. (That sound you hear is a nation of teenage boys suddenly becoming very interested seeing a Sandra Bullock movie.)

A contributor points us to an article which claims to have inside info on who really is going to play James Bond. Ready? No, it's not old man Brosnan (or old man Bronson, for that matter):  supposedly, it really is Daniel Craig. Was he just maybe, possibly shopping for that fancy copy of Casino Royale for a reason? (Though I'm still unclear on what that reason might be. You have to spend thousands of pounds on the first edition of a book that's really not that great, just because you're gonna do the movie? Lucky for his wallet he's not playing Leopold Bloom.)

Though this source's suggestion that Craig "beat out" Clive Owen contradicts other rumors (could this get more insane?), if it does turn out to be right, there's another interesting tidbit here:  alleged first choice Julian McMahon had to turn the role down due to his commitments to Nip/Tuck. Hmm. I'm just glad that didn't happen, whatever the reason - DemonBond is a bad idea.

Never fear, dear readers - you'll hear the next wrinkle the moment we do!

[Thanks, Bernie.]