evan rachel wood Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Girls on Film: Domestic Violence and Media
Filed under: Girls on Film »
Only a few years ago, Evan Rachel Wood was Lolita'd up, wearing heart-shaped glasses and having super-sexy sex on-tape with Marilyn Manson. It was one apt metaphor for a relationship between a couple with an eighteen-year age difference. Fast-forward to the present, and Wood has moved on, leaving Manson to do what he does best -- lather in controversial thoughts and stretch every boundary and opinion of decency. But this time, it's taken a new turn. His new video "Running to the Edge of the World" watches him sing with a tortured look in his eyes for a good four minutes before twisting into a domestic violence fest, a girl looking like Wood's doppelganger getting the living crap beat out of her and then looking around, scared, with blood dripping all over her.
Could Robert Redford Have Picked a Better Cast?
Filed under: Drama », Casting »
Steven Spielberg's Abraham Lincoln pic will definitely have a run for its money if it ever gets made. Robert Redford is cooking up one hell of a roster for his drama The Conspirator, which focuses on Mary Surratt's involvement with the assassination. Now Variety reports that the filmmaker has lined up the rest of his cast. First, as we already learned: Robin Wright Penn will play Mary Surratt, "the only female charged in the conspiracy to kill" Lincoln. She was said to have given John Wilkes Booth and David Herold weapons. James McAvoy, meanwhile, will play Frederick Aiken, the war hero and man tapped to defend her in court. And now:Tom Wilkinson -- Reverdy Johnson, a Surratt sympathizer and mentor to Allen, who was the former attorney general and U.S. senator.
Evan Rachel Wood -- Anna Surratt, daughter of Mary. She later had to fight for her mother's remains.
Kevin Kline -- Edwin Stanton, Lincoln's War Secretary who took charge of the crime scene after the assassination. He was very involved in the entire proceeding, including concocting a rather unique and painful hood for the accomplices while on trial.
Alexis Bledel -- Sarah Weston, the young Aiken's wife.
Justin Long -- "a role" ... The trade outlined everyone's role but his. Will this be, I dare say, Lincoln? (hah.)
Frankly, Kline would be enough to sell me, but I'm impressed both by the fresh story picked (and all the aspects Redford has to choose from), and the heaps of talent laid on it -- a mixture of names we'd expect and some surprises as well. Could this be a big twist for Long, perchance?
Say Goodbye to Spider-Man ... The Musical
Filed under: Music & Musicals », Sony », RumorMonger », Celebrities and Controversy », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
I'll admit, I never understood why anyone thought Spider-Man would make a good musical -- even with music by Bono and The Edge. But Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark seemed inevitable, and once we got word that Evan Rachel Wood and Alan Cumming were joining the cast, the big-budgeted show seemed to be chugging along nicely towards it's 2010 release date. But all is not well in the world of Spidey, and Michael Riedel at the New York Post is reporting that the show is in serious trouble. According to Riedel, the set designers have been put on hiatus, actors might be released from their contracts, and staff is scrambling to cash their checks before the money runs out.The production is still a long way from being finished, and according to sources, "A lot of it seems to exist only in Julie's [Taymor] head," But as far as Taymor and company are concerned, the show is on track for previews in February, 2010. According to the official website, tickets will be going on sale in October, but sources claim that agents are already trying to return the tickets that have been sold for advance previews.
After the jump: so where did it all go wrong?...
Review: Whatever Works
Filed under: Comedy », Theatrical Reviews »
Whatever Works' title is the mantra of inveterate curmudgeon Boris Yellnikoff (Larry David), as well as that of Woody Allen, whose latest – and first to be set in his beloved Manhattan since 2004's Melinda and Melinda – hews as tightly to his trademark preoccupations as Of Mice and Men's Lenny clung to his rabbit. Casting David makes sense, as the Curb Your Enthusiasm star's crotchety on-screen persona more than slightly recalls that of Allen's. Yet rather than an inspired meeting of kindred minds, their collaboration does little except reinforce the notion that Allen's creative well has long since run dry, his films now split into either inert, heavy-handed, detached spectacles of pretty people doing naughty things in foreign locales (Match Point, Vicky Cristina Barcelona), or leaden comedic larks in which notable names embody Allen's archetypal kvetching role.
An erudite string-theory professor and all-around misanthrope with suicidal tendencies and an extensive vocabulary, David's Boris grumps and grouches like countless other Allen protagonists, right down to his guiding philosophy that the world is a cold, random place full of regret and misery, and that any rare chances at happiness should be seized.
New Trailer for Woody Allen's 'Whatever Works'
Filed under: Comedy », Sony », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »
If you had to pick someone to play a (slightly) younger version of Woody Allen, it'd pretty much have to be Larry David, right? Both men are overtly Jewish, neurotic, self-obsessed, and often pretty hilarious -- so it doesn't surprise me one bit to see Larry David take the starring role in Allen's latest, a quick-looking New York comedy called Whatever Works. Going only by the trailer, it looks to be an enjoyably typical (if appreciably old-school) Woody Allen comedy, but (as usual) the prolific filmmaker has managed to bring together one hell of a fun ensemble.Joining Larry David are Patricia Clarkson, Ed Begley Jr., Evan Rachel Wood, and Conleth Hill in this story of an upper-class New Yorker who has some sort of mid-life crisis and decides to live like a starving artist. (If I have the synopsis right, then this flick sounds a little like Mel Brooks' Life Stinks, and no movie wants to sound like that.) But the trailer (available right here at Apple) made me chuckle more than once, and I'm certainly interested in seeing a cast like this deliver some of Woody Allen's neuroses. Too early to tell, of course, but Whatever Works looks like it could be a return to comedic form for Woody. (Because I think his last several comedies have been pretty weak.)
And you? Still a Woody Allen fan? Interested in the new one? It comes out on June 19.
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?
Zack Snyder's Girl-Powered 'Sucker Punch'
Filed under: Action », Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », Casting », Warner Brothers », RumorMonger », Newsstand »
Not one to take a breather, Zack Snyder is immediately launching into his next project (and his first original script), Sucker Punch. I don't want to get all gushy and fangirly, but this might just be a film for the girls who identified with this. It might even be a film that embodies the Bechdel Rule. It's an R-rated, $100 million dollar action movie set in the 1950s, and it centers on a girl imprisoned in a mental institution by her evil stepfather. Due to be lobotomized, she loses herself in a fantasy world where she dreams about escaping with her fellow inmates. Or, as Snyder describes it, it's "Alice in Wonderland with machine guns."
Entertainment Weekly reports that Amanda Seyfried is in negotiations to play the lead, and that Evan Rachel Wood, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, and Emma Stone are also in talks. Production doesn't start until fall, so we could see a few of these faces shift, but I'm liking the line up so far.
But seriously, how cool is this? It's the exact opposite of the chick flicks we've been inundated with of late -- and while I don't think violence and ass-kicking automatically make a film feminist, it's a step in the right direction.
Even Snyder is cheekily aware of that: "I already did the all-male cast with 300, so I'm doing the opposite end of the spectrum."
If nothing else, it might just help Warner Bros reconsider that whole "no female leads" stance they took in 2007.
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