Skip to Content

Don't miss Joystiq's up-to-the-minute live coverage of E3!

Posts with tag Renee Zellweger

Chris Noth is Renee Zellweger's 'One and Only'

Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Casting »

Because of Hollywood Squares, the perma-tanned George Hamilton is one of those guys that is burned into my brain, even though I usually forget what else I've seen him in. (The same goes for ol' Jim J.) Still, he's a face of the '80s and the thought of a dramedy about a childhood adventure he had sounds all sorts of cool. In February, Jessica posted that Renee Zellweger was joining My One and Only, and now Variety reports that Chris Noth, the infamous Mr. Big, will co-star.

The film is based on a story that Hamilton once told Merv Griffin -- about traveling on the road with his mother and brother. (As a child, George lived in Memphis, Arkansas, LA, Boston, New York, and Palm Beach.) Zellweger will play Anne Deveraux -- a woman roaming from city to city to find a wealthy man to become husband and father. Noth will play "a retired military doctor who might just fit the bill." It could be a pretty funky tale, especially since it will jump back in time, based in the '50s.

However, Charlie Peters wrote the script, which has me a little apprehensive; his resume includes Blame it on Rio, Her Alibi, 3 Men and a Little Lady, and Krippendorf's Tribe -- not exactly the best collection of films. Richard Loncraine (Band of Brothers), meanwhile, will direct the film, which heads into production next month.

Review: Leatherheads

Filed under: Comedy », Sports », Universal », Theatrical Reviews »



As Leatherheads arrives in theaters, you're going to be hearing the phrase "screwball comedy" a lot, either in the barrage of pre-opening publicity or in review after review. "Screwball comedy" implies a certain snap and rotation -- a velocity to the gags and a vector to the plot -- but the people who made Leatherheads don't quite have the strength of arm or skew of angle to make Leatherheads truly screwball; it kind of fizzles out on the way to the plate. And that's not to say Leatherheads is charmless or unenjoyable or ill-made; it just isn't quite as good as the pedigrees and passions of the people involved would have you think it will (or, frankly, should) be.

Insert Caption: Leatherheads

Filed under: Comedy », Sports », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Contests », Insert Caption », Hold the 'Fone »

Welcome back to another edition of Insert Caption -- the game even your parents can't resist playing! Last week, we asked you to strap on your hottest piece of exercise wear in order to give us the wittiest caption for a photo from the new film Run, Fat Boy, Run. Things didn't get too physical in the comments section, and I think we all agreed that Simon Pegg was definitely NOT bringing sexy back. However, according to our winner Christina D., he might be bringing something just a tad less ... manageable.

1. "So...Bleeker. Juno got you pregnant back?" -- Christina D.

2. "Simon heard Hans' pickup line and smirked at the irony that he actually had tickets to the gun show." -- Eric W.

3. "I knew I recognized you... You were in the Olivia Newton John Video 'Physical' huh?" -- Josh B.

See full image and all captions

This week we're sticking with boys who like to get dirty and sweaty. Not boys, men! Men who like to play with balls. (I think I'll stop here.) Yes, we're here to talk about Leatherheads -- that upcoming old school football flick starring George Clooney, John Krasinski and Renée Zellweger. The three sports behind our favorite captions will walk away with one Leatherheads poster, one Leatherheads t-shirt, one Leatherheads hat and one Leatherheads calendar. Not to mention you'll score a winning touchdown with our staff. So lace up gang, and give us everything you've got! (And maybe, just maybe, we'll take the whole team out for ice cream after the game.) Sound off below ...

Read the official rules for this contest

See "Leatherheads" for Free!

Filed under: Romance », Sports », Site Announcements », New Releases », Universal », Exhibition », Movie Marketing », Contests »

It's a good day for me when I get to see George Clooney on-screen in anything (or even better, in less than anything, but he doesn't tend to go there, sadly). Now you have a chance to see Clooney in his latest film, Leatherheads, for free! The title of the film makes me think of horror films, but Leatherheads, directed by and starring Clooney, is really a romantic comedy set in the world of 1920s football, when players wore helmets made out of leather rather than the high-tech, head-protecting gear they don today. The film co-stars Renée Zellweger as Clooney's beloved, and John Krasinski as war hero and football star Clooney recruits to help his floundering team.

You can sign up for your chance to win tickets right over here. And if you do get tickets to a screening, be sure to let us know what you think of the film. I'm particularly curious to see what kind of chemistry Clooney and Zellweger have -- she wouldn't be my first choice to star alongside him, so I'm wondering how they are on-screen.

Zellweger to Join 'My One and Only'

Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Casting », Deals »

It goes to show that sometimes the most interesting stories can come from some unlikely places. Variety reports that Renee Zellweger is in talks to star in the family 'dramedy', My One and Only. "Set in the 1950s, the comedy focuses on the glamorous Anne Deveraux (Zellweger) as she drives down the Eastern seaboard from city to city in a quixotic search for a wealthy man to fund a new life for her and her sons".

Now here is where it gets a little strange. It turns out the story is based on the childhood experiences of the perpetually tanned George Hamilton. Hamilton had told the story to TV producer Merv Griffin, who must have seen some feature film potential. If nothing else, Zellweger might be able to score an Oscar nod for playing a self-absorbed socialite mom -- just think of the histrionics she could perform on screen.

Zellweger seems to enjoy working on period pieces; and right after the 20's sports comedy Leatherheads hits theaters on April 4th, she'll most likely be heading back to the past just one more time. Charlie Peters has already produced a finished script, and Richard Loncraine has been signed to direct. Peters is a writer director, and is responsible for a few so-so family comedies including 3 Men and a Little Lady and Krippendorf's Tribe. Loncraine has a more diverse resume, and most recently was at the helm for the Harrison Ford action flick, Firewall. So the writer director-combo might look a little strange, but keep in mind, it's a strange story.

Dueling 'Leatherheads' Posters -- Sports or Romance?

Filed under: Comedy », Romance », Sports », Posters »

On the one hand, I can see why a film would want a few drastically different posters -- you can appeal to a wider audience and get more butts into the seats. At the same time, this technique runs the risk of alienating the people you just intrigued. You look at one poster, get all excited, then see another, and begin to wonder if you'd really be interested in it. Two posters for the upcoming sports comedy Leatherheads have been released this week. To the right, you get my favorite, which popped up yesterday over at Coming Soon. It's fun, and I love the faces George Clooney and John Krasinski are sporting. You know it's a retro sports comedy, and that you'll get some light laughs from the film's stars.

Now, over here to the left, this is the poster that popped up today on Empire. It's overly-airbrushed, and frankly, too romantically serious for the film -- at least in comparison to the last poster and the trailer that came out last month. I understand playing up the romance angle, but there's two much better ways to do this -- play up the triangle between Renee Zellweger, Clooney, and Krasinski, or use a funny image from the film -- Renee driving off and leaving George in the mud, or of the pair post-kiss with lipstick smudged everywhere. Then, you're displaying the romance without making it seem like some typical romcom.

What do you think?

EXCLUSIVE: 'Leatherheads' Standee

Filed under: Fandom », Movie Marketing », Images », Posters »

Cinematical has received exclusive images of the official standee for Leatherheads, the upcoming football comedy directed by and starring George Clooney. This is Clooney's third feature behind the camera, and his first straight-up comedy as a director, so it should be interesting to see what he does with a supporting cast that includes Renée Zellweger and everyone's favorite office co-worker, John Krasinski.

Leatherheads, which is being coined as a sports-oriented romantic comedy set against the formation of professional football in the 1920s, stars Clooney as the owner of a failing team who, in an attempt to turn things around, convinces former college football star and decorated war hero Carter Rutherford (Krasinski) to join the team. And when cub reporter Lexie Littleton (Zellweger) enters the equation, both men will find it hard to keep their eyes on the ball and off of her. Check out our gallery featuring close-ups of all three images (and a larger version of the standee) below. Leatherheads is due to touch down in theaters on April 4, 2008.

Review: Bee Movie

Filed under: Animation », Comedy », New Releases », Theatrical Reviews », Family Films », Dreamworks »

Here's the biggest problem most folks will have with Bee Movie: It's not Ratatouille. Both films have a lot in common with one another, except the latter is far greater in terms of story, character and overall charm. And if Ratatouille hadn't arrived only a few short months ago, I might have felt differently about Bee Movie. Instead, I walked away feeling a bit jaded, expecting more from a man who had entertained me for so many years on one of my favorite television shows of all time. But that's not to say Bee Movie is a bad film; it will most certainly entertain the youngsters with its colorful, larger-than-life spirit, and there are enough adult-orientated gems scattered throughout to make it worthy of your family's hard-earned cash. But when your kids turn to you and whisper, "I liked the one with the rat better," don't say I never told you so.

If you're not aware of this film by now, then I'd seriously take a look around because you might, quite literally, be living in a bubble. The film is co-written by, produced by and stars the voice of Jerry Seinfeld, and the man has been buzzing "Pssst ... Bee Movie -- pass it on ...) in our ears for months. When he wasn't dressed up in a giant bee costume, hanging from a construction crane in France, he was promoting the film through commercials, television shows. From what I hear, several people claim the man actually entered their dreams at one point to promote Bee Movie. It's been nearly a decade since Seinfeld (the television show) ended, and it might take another 10 years for the man to do something else. Problem is, after Bee Movie, I'm not sure we'd mind.

Box Office: To Bee Or Not To Bee

Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Box Office », Family Films », Box Office Predictions »

As expected, Saw IV continued the franchise's tradition of tearing it up at the Halloween box office, and Dan in Real Life took second place, placating audiences looking for something milder. The only thing that kept me from a perfect score on my prediction was the fact that The Game Plan had a little more life in it than I thought, beating out Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married for fourth place. Ah well, whatcha gonna do. Congrats to Bubba8193 for hitting one out of the park. And now without further ado, here's last weekend's final box office numbers:

1. Saw IV
: $32.1 million.
2. Dan in Real Life: $12.1 million.
3. 30 Days of Night: $6.7 million.
4. The Game Plan: $6.3 million.
5. Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? $5.7 million

Looking for a new release this weekend? Well, here are your options:

American Gangster
What's It All About: Set in the 1970s, American Gangster stars Denzel Washington as a Harlem drug lord who smuggles heroin inside the bodies of U.S. soldiers killed in Vietnam, and Russel Crowe plays the maverick cop out to stop him.
Why It Might Do Well: Two high caliber stars, Ridley Scott at the helm and an 89% fresh rating over at Rottentomatoes.com suggest this one is going to pull in some serious coin.
Why It Might Not Do Well:
Those of us who have recently suffered through the tedium that was We Own The Night know all too well how badly a period cop story can go wrong.
Number of Theaters: 3,000
Prediction: $31 million

Bee Movie
What's It All About: Computer animated comedy starring the voices of Jerry Seinfeld and Renee Zellweger. Seinfeld plays Barry B. Benson, an idealistic young honey bee who decides to sue the human race for stealing his people's honey.
Why It Might Do Well: Promotion for this film started a looooonng time ago, so the word is definitely out there. Even nine years after his sitcom finished up, Seinfeld is still a recognizable and highly bankable star, and I think this will be this weekend's number one movie.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Only if actual bees are released in the theater.
Number of Theaters: 3,500
Prediction:
$38 million

Jerry Seinfeld and Renee Zellweger Go Unscripted

Filed under: Fandom », Movie Marketing », Unscripted »

"'Blog' is the worst word of the 21st century," says Jerry Seinfeld during this latest installment in Moviefone's Unscripted series. And I tend to agree -- while I have no problem labeling myself as a movie blogger, the word "blog" is kind of disgusting, dirty in some ways, and not the prettiest of terms. For those not familiar with Unscripted, it's a fun little series where Moviefone sticks two celebs (who happen to be starring in the same upcoming film) together in a room, and film them asking questions to one another -- questions from you readers, as well as their own made-up-on-the-spot stuff. This latest round features Jerry Seinfeld and Renée Zellweger, stars of the new animated flick Bee Movie, which I happen to be seeing tomorrow night (and might I add that I've been looking forward to this one for awhile).

I happen to be a pretty big fan of Seinfeld (the TV show), as well as Seinfeld (the man). What can I say, I like the guy's honesty. When Zellweger asked him why he hadn't starred in anything since Seinfeld, the dude simply replied: "Because I'm old, rich and tired." The two talk a bit about the movie, about Seinfeld (someone asked Zellweger what character she would've liked to play on the show), and then they go on about a house Seinfeld rented while out in Los Angeles; a house that also happened to belong to Zellweger. If you submitted a question back when we first posted about this particular Unscripted, do swing by to see if they answered it. If not, then you may as well check it out just for the hell of it .. if only to hear about the job Seinfeld had before he hit it big. Enjoy.

Post our RSS feeder to your own Web site!

Sponsored Links