I've said before that a new film from Woody Allen is something like getting a Christmas gift from your eccentric aunt; you never know if you'll get a crocheted toilet paper cozy, or a piece of priceless heirloom jewelry. Fortunately, Allen's newest film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, turns out to be more like the latter. The story opens with Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), two best friends heading to Barcelona for eight weeks of fun.

Vicky's distant relations Judy (Patricia Clarkson) and Mark (Kevin Dunn) live in Barcelona, and have invited the girls to spend the summer there, where Vicky will do research for her Masters and Cristina will soak up the local culture. Vicky is engaged to be married to Doug (Chris Messina), a stalwart, likable, but rather boring young man, and Cristina is recovering from her latest breakup and looking for an artistic outlet for her pent-up creativity.

If I had one wish and one wish only, I think I'd like to be Javier Bardem throughout the duration of filming Vicky Cristina Barcelona, the latest film from writer-director Woody Allen. A new trailer for the flick has just debuted over at Moviefone, and while it's kinda hard to make out what's going on in the movie (there's no dialogue; just music), this definitely looks steamy, romantic, dramatic and, ahem, hot. Starring Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson, Penélope Cruz and Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona marks Allen's first film shot in Spain and it revolves around a painter (Bardem) who winds up "involved" with two American tourists (Johansson and Hall). Cruz plays Bardem's jealous ex-girlfriend, and if the final shot of the trailer is any indication, she definitely takes her jealousy to the next level.

Based on early buzz, there's apparently a sexy threesome scene between Bardem, Johansson and Cruz in the film, as well as a little back-and-forth kissing between Johansson and Cruz (which is teased in the preview). Needless to say, the 2008 Festival de Cannes is the perfect place to premiere such a film -- and our own James Rocchi and Kim Voynar are currently on the ground in France, itching to bring you tons of coverage later this week (including a review of this seductive-looking film).

Check out the trailer above (or over on Moviefone) and let us know what you think below. Vicky Cristina Barcelona arrives in theaters on August 29.

Egads! Is that Evan Rachel Wood dating Larry David? Did she give up on Marilyn Manson? Alas, no. What you see up there is a picture from the set of Woody Allen's new film, which is one of a handful that have popped up on Just Jared. If these are any indication, this untitled romcom could be a good and quirky movie. Wood has that youthful maturity to her (which I imagine is what drew Manson to the actress), and even in crazy stripes, she looks completely comfortable alongside David.

Unlike Woody's recent forays, which seem blissfully free of old men with young women, Woody has dusted off an old project that he had planned to star in himself. However, since he now thinks he's too old, he cast Larry David of Curb Your Enthusiasm fame, to get the young, female action. At this point, all we know is that there's some May-December romance going on, and that Henry Cavill (The Tudors) has nabbed a co-starring gig as a man who gets set up with Wood's character by her mother. Man, she must love David if she's willing to give up Cavill for him.

The film is currently shooting in Manhattan, so if you're in the Big Apple, keep your eyes peeled for David and Wood eating knishes and getting romantic on the Lower East Side.

Cineuropa reported last week that octogenarian French filmmaker Claude Chabrol is nearly ready to start shooting his fifty-fourth feature, a unique mystery called Bellamy. While Woody Allen has become the quintessential prolific director, Chabrol, more than a decade his senior, outdoes the whiny nebbish in terms of volume and quality. Chabrol's movies rely heavily on genre, but he tends to constrain the proportions of messy relationship dramas and other unsettling plot trajectories to bring a renewed sense of claustrophobia to familiar territory.

Blending excitement with dread, he has always been simultaneously the most accessible and least forgiving French New Wave auteur. His work is consistently gripping: The urban college thriller Les Cousin (1959) contrasts studious intentions with drunken tomfoolery against a collegiate backdrop, not unlike the modern American frat movie (but a lot scarier). Les Bonnes Femmes (1960) featured a chilling stalker and a brilliantly frightening sequence where a woman nearly drowns in a public swimming pool.

I'd say it was about time that Woody Allen hired some eye candy that wasn't of the female persuasion. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Henry Cavill (The Tudors) has signed to star in the director's upcoming romantic comedy. The as-yet-to-be-titled film also stars Evan Rachel Wood, Larry David, and Allen. There are very few details about the story, but according to early rumors, Rachel Wood is playing Larry David's love interest. Apparently, Allen originally wrote the starring role for himself, but now feels too old to take it on. Thus, he'll appear in a supporting role.

Cavill is probably best known to most as Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk, but he has also earned the reputation as being one of the unluckiest guys in Hollywood. Cavill was in the final stages of auditions for Batman, Superman and James Bond. Of course, we all know he didn't get those parts, but he did score the lead in Joel Schumacher's upcoming sci-fi thriller, Town Creek. Maybe now that the offers are starting to come in, Cavill can get a reputation for being something other than an 'almost was.' Allen's film is currently in production in his old stomping grounds (aka New York City) and is set for release in 2009.

There is just something about Evan Rachel Wood that makes her appealing to older men, gothic or neurotic. After shocking the world by stealing Marilyn Manson away from Dita Von Teese, becoming his girlfriend, and now possibly marrying him, she's starting a professional relationship with another oldie, but this time he's -- much older, and much more known for his interest in younger women -- Woody Allen.

Hollywood Elsewhere has learned that Wood will star in Woody Allen's next film, after Vicky Cristina Barcelona -- one that will have her play Larry David's love interest. Yes, Mr. Curb Your Enthusiasm himself. A man who is forty years older than she is. (See? Old guys left, right, and center, at least for the 20-year-old Wood!) Allen wrote this script a while ago, but feels too old for it, so he picked "the young sexpot Larry David" to take over. I guess that extra dozen years makes all the difference.

This probably means that it will be more like Woody's older fare. Whether that's good or bad, I'm not sure. The voyage overseas did a lot for the filmmaker, and Elsewhere also hears that his latest is very good: "VCB is funny and sweet and sad and way, way better then his last few movies, including Match Point." Then again, Allen is supposed to be doing more films overseas, so maybe it will be a mixture of young and old -- which, well, would be completely fitting for this whole project.

Growing up in a family full of neurotic Jews, I always ever heard three names when it came to entertainment: Woody Allen, Jackie Mason and Seinfeld. My earliest memories of film revolve around Annie Hall, because my parents were literally addicted to it. During my teen years, their addiction moved over to the TV show Seinfeld ... where it still remains till this day (I guarantee you my parents have watched more Seinfeld than anyone on this planet). Needless to say, if Woody Allen and Seinfeld were somehow able to merge, I imagine my parents would explode. Too ... much ... Jewish ... shtick. Well, Mom, Dad, Entertainment Weekly reports that none other than Seinfeld co-creator and Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David will head up Woody Allen's next film, which shall mark the writer-directors return home to New York City following a brief stint romancing Scarlett Johansson overseas.

Additionally, Evan Rachel Wood (who's kind of like a mini Johansson if you think about it) will co-star opposite David. The title and plot are still unknown, but the film will apparently begin production this spring. Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood? Now there's an on-screen duo I never thought we'd see. What do you think the plot for this one will be? Older neurotic Jewish man falls for hot, young sexy girl? I can't even begin to imagine how strange it will sound to hear Woody Allen's dialogue coming from Larry David. I can't even wrap my head around it -- you?

What's better for a Thursday than super-exciting money news?!?! Enjoy:

• Cassandra's weak box office Dream hasn't tarnished Woody Allen's relationship with the Weinstein Company. According to Variety, they have decided to distribute his next film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona. TWC has got the North American rights, and will release the film later this year (right now, it is still in post). Allen's latest film stars Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall as American girls who visit Spain "and become amorously entangled with a couple" -- Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz. The likes of Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell weren't enough to bring the audiences in last time around, but can this cast do the trick?
• On the more indie side of things, Variety reports that Jada Pinkett Smith's directorial debut, The Human Contract, will be sold internationally by Lightning Entertainment, who will debut footage at Berlinale. The film stars Jason Clarke and Paz Vega as a "repressed advertising exec and a recklass woman" who are in a relationship. Very complicated, eh? Jada also pops up in the film, as does good ol' Ted Danson.
• Finally, we're back to the Weinsteins. Just in case Woody flops again, they've also picked up Dario Argento's upcoming horror flick Giallo. (Posted on pay-site Screen Daily, found on Ace Showbiz.) Once Dario is done filming Vincent Gallo as a creepy serial killer, the Weinstein Company will distribute the movie in the U.S. and Latin America.

It didn't win any Golden Globes, but Juno still reigns supreme. Jason Reitman's likable teen comedy made another $10.25 million for distributor Fox Searchlight, according to estimates compiled by Box Office Mojo. That works out to a per-screen average of $5,197 at 2,915 engagements. The box office take is down 24.7% from the previous week, which indicates continued good word of mouth; the film's cumulative gross in seven weeks of release now stands at more than $85 million.

Forget about 27 Dresses; the real perpetual bridesmaid is Joe Wright's Atonement. The period romantic drama expanded by more than 300 theaters and maintained its solid performance for Focus Features. The film's weekend gross swung upward by 12.7%, resulting in a per-screen average of $3,686 and a cumulative total of $31.8 million.

Demonstrating that nobody in the general moviegoing public really cares about the Academy's best foreign film shortlist, audiences still flocked to Persepolis, giving it the highest per-screen average of the weekend: $9,366, in 30 theaters.

Paramount Vantage expanded Paul Thomas Anderson's magnificent There Will Be Blood from 129 to 389 locations with good results; the film demonstrated surprising strength, averaging $8,023 per screen for a four-week total of $8.1 million. I say "surprising" only because of its subject matter and the length of its running time.

Poor Woody Allen. I generally agree with Jeffrey M. Anderson that Cassandra's Dream is better than you might have heard, though I think it nearly falls apart completely at one point. There were barely 20 people at the 10:00 pm screening I attended on Friday night at its only Dallas engagement, but in other cities the reaction must have been better, as the film pulled in $4,682 per screen at 107 theaters in key cities nationwide for The Weinstein Co.

After all of these years, I never thought I would be reading an MTV interview with legendary director Woody Allen, but I guess that times change. MTV recently spoke to Allen about the rumors regarding another possible project with muse-of-the-moment Scarlett Johansson. Turns out Page Six had it all wrong and there is no New York, I Love You film that will reunite the actress and director for the third time in a row. Allen was hard at work doing promotion for Cassandra's Dream with Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor when the subject of the anthology film came up in conversation. Allen told MTV that the whole Page Six story was "A complete and total fabrication. Made up like a poem by Coleridge. Completely untrue. It wasn't even grounded in any conversations or anything." This might lead me to believe that some of those other Johansson casting announcements were a little premature as well.

Allen has just wrapped up his latest film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona with Johansson, Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz. Just because the NY anthology flick is not going to happen, I seriously doubt that Barcelona is the last we will see of the pairing. When it comes to Johansson, it seems like the guy can't stop gushing: "She's very charming, very bright, very amusing. She livens the set up. The minute she walks on the set, the amperage goes up 200 points. She's a great kid and very talented. She can sing. She can do dramatic things and jokes if you need her to. Whenever there's a part she could play, she would probably always be my first choice." But as any Woody Allen fan can tell you, the man loves the ladies and I'm sure her humor and talent aren't the only 'attributes' that the man admires. Vicky Cristina Barcelona hits theaters this fall.

Page Six is trumpeting the scoop that Woody Allen and his muse Scarlett Johansson have both jumped aboard New York, I Love You, an anthology film currently in pre-production that will feature short directing efforts from several filmmakers such as Anthony Minghella and Mira Nair. Although you'd think this means that Johansson is appearing in the Woody short, the Post reports that Johansson is actually directing her own piece independent of Woody's. Details on the films in question are still forthcoming -- all that's known so far is that they will all be love stories and will of course be set in Manhattan. Johhansson has a number of acting projects lined up for the near future so this must be enough of a priority for a little re-arranging of her schedule.

The paper also reports another Johansson scoop, although this one is more of a rumor than anything else. Courtney Love is apparently seeking out Johansson to play her in a forthcoming biopic of Kurt Cobain called Heavier than Heaven. Why are outer-rim celebrities like Courtney Love and Jenna Jameson always harassing Scarlett Johansson to play them in the movies? Don't they know that she's very busy doing Woody Allen movies and period pieces? She doesn't have time for anything else. Anyway, Woody Allen is doing a round of press for his latest film, Cassandra's Dream, in the coming week so expect some enterprising reporters to pry some more details out of him about this latest turn of events.

Starting tonight and running through December 17th, Edgar Wright is taking control of the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles. Wright, director of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, is programming a festival of his favorite movies, and it's a wonderful and eclectic bunch. He's calling the fest "The Wright Stuff," (also the name of a universally beloved screenwriting column on this very site), and he will be on hand to introduce several screenings with special guests. As always at the New Beverly, one of Los Angeles' absolute treasures, every screening is a double feature.

I'll just tell you about the screenings with special guests, all of which start at 7:30. But don't forget to check the website for all show dates and times. Tonight, Edgar and songwriter Paul Williams will kick off the event with two musicals -- Bugsy Malone and Brian DePalma's Phantom of the Paradise. December 5th, the first feature is Flash Gordon, with special guest (and ex-Bond) Timothy Dalton. The second feature is Mario Bava's Danger Diabolik, introduced by Edgar and the great Joe Dante. On December 7th, Edgar will introduce The Last Boy Scout and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang with one of the finest action screenplay writers of our time -- Shane Black. December 10 is John Landis' An American Werewolf in London and Tremors (which I spouted my love for here). Landis will help Wright introduce his film. December 12th is Top Secret! (almost as funny as Airplane and The Naked Gun, in my opinion) and Woody Allen's Bananas, with David Zucker on hand. December 14th is the Roger Ebert - penned Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, and Head, hosted by Wright and Micky Dolenz of The Monkees. And on December 16th, Wright will introduce Evil Dead 2 and an all time favorite of mine -- the Coen Brothers' Raising Arizona.

Here is a press release from Edgar with his thoughts on the included films. If you live in the Los Angeles area, there's really no excuse to miss this. See you there!

Woody Allen has always been the man of New York -- and not just because he made a little flick called Manhattan. It's been infused in much of his work, that is, until he headed across the Atlantic. After some UK forays, he headed to Spain to show it love. As he previously said: "I hope I can present Barcelona to the world as I see it, the same way I presented Manhattan to the world as I saw it with my eyes. I want to write a love letter to Barcelona, and from Barcelona to the world." Well, the course of true love never did run smooth.

In July, Woody ticked off some Catalonians, who were upset that Barcelona was giving so much money to an American filmmaker, rather than than local talent. According to some, Catalan films are faced with much difficulty getting made, so Woody's ease has rifled more than a few feathers. But now, a few months later, the ill will continues and Spain might not want to be Allen's object of affection. The Guardian reports that Mediapro, the production company behind Vicky Cristina Barcelona, says Woody's next two will be filmed "neither in Catalonia nor in Spain."

The reason they're giving -- the "small-minded attitude" of the local press and politicians -- those who complained about Allen's special treatment over the summer. It's not too hard to see both sides -- how this movie could be a good investment for Barcelona, and also how it's a huge slap in the face for the local filmmakers trying to make films there. Stopping this love affair short seems flighty, but then again, Hollywood isn't known for it's lasting love affairs.

This time around for Stars in Rewind, we've got Woody Allen. This isn't much of a shocker, but it does jump all the way back to 1967 -- before Marshall McLuhan, or that classy move he made when he fell for his long-time partner's adopted daughter. Allen had made a name for himself as a writer for television shows like Candid Camera, and movies like What's New, Pussycat?, yet it would be a good decade before the ultra-classics Annie Hall and Manhattan were born.

This clip has Woody Allen walking through Manhattan during an interview with the CBC. The main topics are, unsurprisingly, women, jokes, and how he became a writer. The discussion includes chatter about picking up women at art galleries, the wonder of a female derriere, his young desire to be a criminal, the blandness of television, and even throws in a little slapstick pool humor. It's long, but worth it if you're an Allen fan. Enjoy!

[via Movie City Indie]

Back in October, Woody Allen changed the title of his next shrouded-in-secrecy film from Midnight in Barcelona to Vicky Cristina Barcelona. While it's not the choice I would have made, considering the 473 titles that the new Rambo flick went through, there's a chance it will get changed again. However, beyond bits of news like that, word on the production has been pretty meager. We know it's about a painter who gets interested in some American tourists, and that his jealous ex isn't too happy about this. Now the painter, one Mr. Javier Bardem, has spoken with MTV about the title of the film and his artsy role in Woody's first bilingual production.

As he confirms, the title comes from the names of the two tourists, Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson's characters. As Bardem describes it: "[They're] the two girls that go to our salon; but I don't know if that is going to be the final title or not." I imagine the "our" is Bardem's character and his ex, played by Penélope Cruz. Early reports have suggested that Cruz is his ex-girlfriend, but Javier says she's his ex-wife in the triangle, but also notes that "it is much more than that."

He paints in the film (Anyone want to make bets that he'll partake in some risque American tourist nudes?), and says he got inspiration for his role from the man who painted the works in the film, as well as from director and artist Julian Schnabel, who worked with him on Before Night Falls. But if you're one of the people allergic to subtitles, he also discusses just how bilingual the film is. While most of his lines are in Spanish, he explains: "It has both, Spanish and English, but most of the time English." We'll get to see what Woody makes of his love for Barcelona some time next year.