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Interview: Carla Gugino

Filed under: Drama », Independent », Interviews »


Carla Gugino
has spent the better part of the last decade playing some of the most complicated and interesting female characters in Hollywood. After early roles in lighthearted fare like Son in Law, she played an appropriately combative counterpart for Michael J. Fox's deputy Mayor on Spin City before appearing in Wayne Wang's The Center of the World as a troubled seductress, Robert Rodriguez' Sin City as a tough-as-nails parole officer, Ridley Scott's American Gangster as Russell Crowe's exasperated ex-wife, and most recently in Zack Snyder's Watchmen as a sexpot superheroine with a pitch-black past. This month, she's acting in Sebastian Gutierrez' Women in Trouble, where she plays a porn star coming to terms with the news that she's pregnant.

Cinematical recently spoke to Gugino at the film's Los Angeles press day, where in between pointing out some of the bruises she earned while shooting Zack Snyder's Watchmen follow-up, Sucker Punch, she offered a few insights into her character in Women in Trouble.

Cinematical: What immediately jumped out to me about Elektra is that even though she's at her own crossroads in Women in Trouble, she seems to have the most certainty of the characters about who she is.

Jon Hamm Has a 'Sucker Punch' for Zack Snyder!

Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », Casting », Warner Brothers », Newsstand »

Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch has been like a rare jewel of girl power with its all female cast, but a little testosterone never hurt anyone, especially if belongs to Jon Hamm. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hamm has just signed on to be the sole man on set against the likes of Emily Browning, Jena Malone, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, and Carla Gugino.

As you know, the film centers on a young girl named Baby Doll (Browning) who is sent away to a mental health institution by her stepfather. He intends to have her lobotomized in five days time, and the horror of that sends her and her fellow inmates planning for an escape in a twisted Alice in Wonderland world of adventure and ass-kicking. THR notes that Hamm's role is being kept under tight wraps, that he's only known to be playing someone named High Roller. But given what major role has yet to be cast, I'm willing to bet he's playing the stepfather. I wouldn't be surprised if we see Hamm doing a bit of Captain Hook duty, and popping up as the antagonist of the girls' dream world as well.

Between the cast, the concept, and the girl sized t-shirt, there's not much more Snyder could add to this film to make me long for 2011 more than I already do. But something tells me he'll find room for some 300 and Watchmen cast cameos, and then the wait will really become unbearable.

Gallery: Sucker Punch

Carla Gugino Gets Sucker Punched

Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting »

The estrogen continues to descend into Zack Snyder's new feature. Now that the main cast has been set for Sucker Punch -- Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone, and Abbie Cornish -- Snyder is filling in the surrounding parts, and getting a little inspiration from Watchmen. The Hollywood Reporter posts that Carla Gugino has signed up for a role in the film, which is currently heading towards an autumn shoot.

As we already know, the film focuses on a girl (Browning) who is sent to a mental institution by her evil stepfather. He is planning to have her lobotomized in five days, and she dreams of escape, which leads her to fall into an alternate reality or dream world where she escapes along with her inmate friends.

SDCC: Watching the Watchmen Again

Filed under: Warner Brothers », Fandom », Home Entertainment », ComicCon »



The only event I did manage to see at Comic-Con 2009 was the Watchmen director's cut, which was a really unique set-up, as Zack Snyder was in attendance and answering questions messaged to him from a computer in the back of the room. The whole thing was being broadcast live to the lucky owners of the Blu-ray edition, though my Twitter friends complained that reading the chat wasn't nearly as much fun as listening to it, and the transcriber wasn't spelling Snyder's words correctly. In person, though, it was a loose, informal kind of thing, with people coming in and out just to watch favorite scenes or listen to Snyder's commentary. I confess I didn't stay for the whole thing (I was too cold, too tired, and my chair was hideously uncomfortable, so I'll have to wait until DVD to see Hollis Mason's death) but what I saw was a blast.

To give you an example, the first question out of the gate was about whether or not a suspicious looking object next to the Comedian's television set was really the sort of sex toy it looked like. The answer is a big fat yes. Snyder decided the Comedian was the kind of guy who would have a very kinky and dark sex life (something all over the costumed heroes of Watchmen anyway), and that if you look closely, you'll see all kinds of things scattered over his apartment. Somehow I don't think that made it onto the DVD commentary, though I could be wrong.

This will obviously be Watchmen's last appearence at ComicCon, so I'm sad to have missed the whole live broadcast. But to come full circle, if you were there the year The Big Casting Announcements Happened, you might remember that there was a really obnoxious question about Sally Jupiter's hair. One determined fanboy was dying to know whether or not Snyder planned to keep Sally Jupiter's poodle perm, and it was just the kind of creepy thing that plagues every panel Q&A. Turns out, the whole thing was a prank pulled by one of the production / visual designers (the name was drowned out on my end of the room). "So mean," moaned Snyder. I've thought of that question every time I saw Sally's hair, and I'm glad to know there isn't a fanboy out there still angry about it!

What else don't you get from a home viewing ... swag! In proof that the machine (especially if its run by Snyder) keeps going, check out the t-shirt below. It's your first piece of Sucker Punch marketing, and officially kicks off a gallery that'll have many more additions in the future. Best of all? He had them in girl sizes. Someone in his camp knows there's female geeks in the world!

Gallery: Sucker Punch


Vanessa Hudgens to Strip Naked in 'Sucker Punch'?

Filed under: Action », Casting », Warner Brothers »

Vanessa HudgensHow do you reconcile a potentially naked Disney star with a director of extreme violence -- and a PG-13 rating? Director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead, 300, Watchmen) recently suggested that he might deliver a PG-13 rated film for the first time in his career, but without softening the action of his upcoming Sucker Punch. Now comes word that Disney star Vanessa Hudgens "will strip naked" for her role as a prostitute in the film, according to Metro UK.

Except that she doesn't actually say that. Her actual quoted words are: "I'm playing a character named Blondie and it's set in a brothel in the 1950s, so there's not a whole lot of clothes." From that, the publication surmises that she'll be naked. More likely, she'll be dressed in revealing, sexy outfits that don't show as much as her leaked private photos did (which reportedly showed everything). Unless, of course, Snyder plans to shoot additional footage that can then be released as part of an "unrated" or "director's cut" version for DVD and Blu-ray, while keeping a PG-13 rating in mind for theaters.

Whatever the case, at least this is one bit of casting news for the film that has been nailed down. Hudgens was previously reported to be "in talks." Emily Browning will star alongside Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, and Jamie Chung. Described as "Alice in Wonderland with machine guns," Sucker Punch starts production this fall and aims for an October 2010 release date.

Zack Snyder Might Deliver a PG-13 'Sucker Punch'

Filed under: Action », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Warner Brothers », Scripts », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand »

While Zack Snyder was out talking up the Watchmen Director's Cut, he managed to find a little time to sit down with Devin Faraci of CHUD and give an update on Sucker Punch. If you were dying to hear a few more details about that glorious grindhouse throwback, look no further, but beware of what might be a spoiler.

The biggest surprise is that Snyder might actually aim for a PG-13 rating -- but don't think he'll soften the action any. "If you can make Taken PG-13, you can make this movie PG-13. That's what I believe. Because it's more fantastic. No one really dies in the movie. I think Sucker Punch is a smart movie. It absolutely is challenging, and it's f***ing hardcore. [A]t the end she gets ... it's dark! But it's f***ing actiony like nobody's business. We hope the action we're creating is off the charts, and it's not stupid."

The action really will be off the charts, as the institutionalized Baby Doll and her companions battle are all kinds of crazy, ranging from WWI soldiers to creatures straight out of Dungeons and Dragons, but with realistic grit. "I like fight choreography and I like being able to see what's happening in action. When the girls are fighting, [like] they're on their way to kill a baby dragon, they've killed all of these orc-like creatures and they're entering a door [and] it's this classic, real Navy SEAL style room clearing. They have machine guns but they're fighting mythic creatures, impossible creatures. The hand to hand stuff is all brutal, because Damon [Caro] did all the [fights] in Bourne and it has that vibe to it." I'm so on board with this ... even if we might already know the ending!

Zack Snyder Adds Jena Malone and Jamie Chung to 'Sucker Punch'

Filed under: Action », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », Casting », Warner Brothers », Newsstand »

Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch has been a revolving door of casting and schedule conflicts. Last month, the film lost Amanda Seyfried but quickly replaced her with Emily Browning. Now, he's cast Jena Malone and Jamie Chung, who have stepped in to replace Evan Rachel Wood and Emma Stone, respectively.

Wood and Stone were both forced to drop out due to schedule conflicts and as of now, only Abbie Cornish and Vanessa Hudgens remain out of the original line-up, which was always in negotiation anyway.

But don't despair, because every casting report gives us a bit more of its grindhouse plot. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Malone will be playing Cornish's younger sister, both of whom have the unfortunate luck to be locked in this hellish mental institution. Chung will be playing Annie, "a country girl with a big heart." (I want to add "as big as all Texas" but I'm not going to jump to geographical conclusions. Maybe she's from West Virginia or Tennessee.)

There's not much more to say about the casting, except that I'm glad to see a little diversity by way of Chung, and I'm uncertain about Malone. She's certainly a very respectable young actress (and co-producer these days) but she always comes off so brittle and humorless. Maybe all she needs is a part like this where she can cut loose and have fun ... and how can you not have fun with a film like this? It's a laugh just writing about it.

Zack Snyder's 'Sucker Punch' Gets a New Lead

Filed under: Action », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », Casting », Warner Brothers », Newsstand »

Losing your lead actress might daunt some directors, but not Zack Snyder. Snyder doesn't sleep, he waits -- and he already has a replacement for Amanda Seyfried. Entertainment Weekly reports that Emily Browning will take on the role of Baby Doll in Snyder's upcoming Sucker Punch.

You probably best remember the Australian-born Browning as the young Angelina Jolie lookalike in A Series of Unfortunate Events -- and if you're a guy, you've probably been counting the days for her to grow up, which she did in this year's The Uninvited.

I haven't seen enough of Browning to say if she's a better lead than Seyfried or not. She's definitely dabbled more in the Gothic than Seyfried, who was an appealing pick precisely because she hadn't played dark and violent yet. She's the kind of girl who shouldn't land in a mental institution, whereas Browning (and I'm going purely off Unfortunate Events) looks as though she might expect it.

Shooting is still set to begin in the fall, and EW is still reporting that Evan Rachel Wood, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, and Emma Stone remain "in talks," so we could still see some faces come and go. Schedule conflicts are really killing off the cool casting this year.

Is Warners Nuts for Backing Snyder's 'Sucker Punch'?

Filed under: Action », Fandom », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand »



Shortly after Watchmen's second weekend in theaters, word began to spread that because the film was a financial failure, Warner Brothers would stop making R-rated superhero movies (even though Watchmen wasn't really a "superhero movie") and start concentrating more on PG-13 superhero movies, like The Dark Knight (which should've been R-rated). Confused yet? But that's not stopping Warners from taking wild chances on other R-rated material, like Zack Snyder's $100 million all-female "Alice in Wonderland with machine guns," Sucker Punch -- due to begin production this fall (with an October 2010 release date), starring Evan Rachel Wood, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, and Emma Stone

So they can't make an R-rated Batman movie, but line up an all-female cast on an original script set in the 1950s with no established audience and, heck, Warners will throw a good $100 million at it. Why not? The NY Observer says they'd be "shocked" if the studio actually moves ahead on this project, now that lead Amanda Seyfried has dropped out -- coupled with the fact that the last time they gave Snyder over a hundred million, he gave them a film that won't even come close to making that money back. Is Sucker Punch really that much of a gamble, or will the idea of hot young starlets kicking ass bring the horny teenage fanboys (and girls) to theaters in droves?

Personally, I like that Warner Bros. is taking these risks. And maybe they can afford to with The Dark Knight cleaning house and three more Harry Potter films on the way, but if we're not going to get our hardcore R-rated superhero movies, then there needs to be a happy medium. They need to satisfy that audience with something cool and flashy, like Sucker Punch.

What do you think? Is Sucker Punch a risky investment considering what happened to Watchmen? Or do you think the all-female action film will be too hot to resist?

Amanda Seyfried Drops Out of Zack Snyder's 'Sucker Punch'

Filed under: Action », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », Casting », Warner Brothers », Newsstand »

Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch just lost its Baby Doll, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Amanda Seyfried had been tapped to play Baby, the unlucky girl whose sleazy stepfather locks her up in a mental institution and schedules her for a lobotomy.

The reason is one that seems to be damning a few actresses this spring -- schedule conflicts. Sucker Punch was scheduled to shoot in the fall, the same time as the fourth season of HBO's Big Love. HBO won't release her from her commitment, and apparently doesn't want to work around it. (There's a joke about fundamentalist Mormons and compounds here, but I'm not going to make it.)

It's a shame, as Seyfried really fits the "Alice in Wonderland with machine guns" theme Snyder's film is aiming for, and she's one of the most promising young actresses around. She's been picking smart scripts lately, and the idea of seeing her dabble in action was a pretty cool one.

There's no word on who might step up to replace her. Just about every other young up-and-comer (Evan Rachel Wood, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, and Emma Stone) were negotiating to join, so the pickings are slim. One of them might be able to angle for the lead now that Seyfried is gone. Or maybe Snyder should look to someone even younger -- is Emma Watson free?

 
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