abbie cornish Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Abbie Cornish to Star in Madonna's 'W.E.'
Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Romance », Casting »
After playing Fanny Brawne in last year's Bright Star, actress Abbie Cornish is getting ready for her next historic adventure. According to Variety, she's going to topline W.E., the Wallis Simpson feature that Madonna is co-writing with Alex Keshishian, which the ol' Material Girl is also planning to direct. (The trade also notes that Cornish is set to play the female lead opposite Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro in Dark Fields.)It's been an intriguing path to this point. Last October, there was word that Madonna was prepping this feature to direct, but it was being described as a romantic comedy about a woman named Wally Winthrop, and her romantic forays with a pediatrician and security guard. The twist was that somehow, intermingled into this tale, are "fantasy and flashback scenes" focusing on Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, and that whole throne abdication. When word hit with the trades last month, however, the romcom Wally part of the scenario seemed to be forgotten, with the film described as a biopic about Edward and Wallis.
So, either way, there's some VIII action coming our way, starring Abbie Cornish. She may have replaced the previously mentioned Vera Farmiga, or if the romcom twist is still in effect, they could both be grabbing lead roles.
Comedy ... historical drama ... which do you think Madonna would be better suited for?
Jane Campion and 'Bright Star' -- Lost in the Shuffle?
Filed under: Drama », Romance », Awards », Fandom », Oscar Watch »
Jane Campion, who's wowed film fans and critics for years with movies like Sweetie, The Piano, and The Portrait of a Lady, came back with a fierceness at this year's Cannes with Bright Star, an elegant retelling of the love affair between John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish). The film shows the doomed relationship from Brawne's point of view; an outspoken and creative young woman with a flair for fashion and not much of a passion for Romantic poetry, Brawne becomes enamored of her neighbor much to the disapproval of her mother and his churlish friend, fellow writer Charles Brown (Paul Schneider). Unfortunately, their love remains rather celibate, relegated to holding hands and writing letters. Keats died at 25, unsuccessful and poor, from tuberculosis. Overall the consensus from Cannes was that Jane Campion's first full-length movie since 2003's In the Cut was a strong contender in a number of Oscar categories, including best film and director. Since then, Bright Star has practically dropped from sight, unlike other little-films-that-could like An Education, which has benefited from more word-of-mouth buzz and the backing of a slightly larger, more established studio. (Bright Star's US distributor is Apparition, which was launched in August.)
'Guardians of Ga'hoole' Gets a Killer Cast
Filed under: Animation », Casting »
As much as I love a good animated film, sometime I have to sigh and wonder what would be if the same cast was in a live action feature. This is one of those times. Zack Snyder's Guardians of Ga'hoole has found its official cast, and it's a little different from earlier reports in January. Hugo Weaving and Ryan Kwanten are still in, Hugh Jackman is not, and there are a whole bunch of new folks. The Hollywood Reporter posts that the cast will be headlined by Sam Neill, Geoffrey Rush, David Wenham, and Weaving. (Mucho props to Elisabeth for guessing right on Wenham in April '08!) These guys will be joined by the likes of Aussie folks Emily Barclay, Abbie Cornish, Emilie de Ravin, Jay Laga'aia, and Kwanten. PLUS -- three Brit actors with Miriam Margolyes, Helen Mirren, and Jim Sturgess. Unfortunately, there's no cast rundown of who will voice who, and with that many names, I'm not even going to try guessing. Check out IMDb for a few casting names, but I'm not so sure on their accuracy since they list Sturgess as Soren, and THR lists him last, rather than naming him as a headliner.
Holy crap! Is it terrible that this news makes me sad and wishes this cast wasn't wasted on owls? Many of these actors could offer so much visually, and oh, how I'd love to see them play off of each other -- especially Wenham, Weaving, and Mirren. At the very least, it's got me itching to watch the story of the young owl Soren and his enthrallment with stories of the winged warrior Guardians of Ga'Hoole. How 'bout you?
'Moon' and 'Fish Tank' Lead BIFA Nods
Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Independent », Romance », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Awards », Mystery & Suspense », IFC », Sony Classics », Fantastic Fest », Oscar Watch »
Fall brings with it awards season, and among our first round of nominations are those of the British Independent Film Awards. According to Empire, Andrea Arnold's acclaimed Fish Tank took the lead with eight, while Duncan Jones' similarly lauded Moon came up with seven, including one for lead actor Sam Rockwell.I'm personally happy to see the savage political satire In the Loop getting due notice, especially its expletive-laden screenplay, since it'll likely go overlooked when it comes to Yank laurels (sad but true, although I'll be happy if it's not). Meanwhile, the multiple nods for An Education and Bright Star only parallel their warm reception Stateside and their likely contention in next year's Oscar race.
And after being quietly blown away by it at Fantastic Fest a few weeks back, I'm also glad to see Down Terrace get some love under the Raindance Award category. Enough of these awards, and maybe that puppy'll earn some distribution in our neck of the woods. (You listening, IFC?)
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
Vanessa Hudgens to Strip Naked in 'Sucker Punch'?
Filed under: Action », Casting », Warner Brothers »
How 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.
Discuss: Trailers Full of Deleted Scenes
Filed under: Action », Animation », Comedy », Romance », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Disney », Warner Brothers », Fox Searchlight », Trailers and Clips »
Last year, when I interviewed Kimberly Peirce for Stop-Loss, I asked why a relationship played up between Ryan Phillippe's character and Abbie Cornish's in the trailer seemed absent from the final film, not to mention a confrontation between Phillippe and the senator he's driven cross-country to reach coming to a close over the phone and not in person. She explained that about as soon as they had to start editing the film itself, they had to turn over the footage to the promotional department for them to work with simultaneously, and that things don't always match up as a result.
Now, every once in a while, usually in regard to Apatow's oft-tested and whittled-down comedies, absent jokes and alternate takes come as a little surprise. But the year-old teaser for Terminator Salvation capped itself by showing Christian Bale facing off against a robot hiding underwater -- a scene that should appear early on in the film, but doesn't. In Disney/Pixar's Up, our geriatric hero doesn't blow a raspberry as he departs with his house (perhaps for the best), and in 500 Days of Summer, Joseph Gordon-Levitt does not in fact board a bus filled with Zooey Deschanels (certainly for the worst).
What's the most striking occasion you can think of where a scene regularly flaunted in the trailers or TV spots was nowhere to be seen in theaters, and was clearly part of a scene and not a one-off teaser like Pixar themselves so often indulges in?
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?
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