keira knightley Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Last summer, it was reported that Columbia was setting up a remake of My Fair Lady and that Keira Knightley was pursuing the iconic, Cockney role of Eliza Doolittle. While Knightley has been "attached" ever since, The Telegraph reports that Scarlett Johansson was also vying for the role. But Knightley won out, and the Telegraph not only confirms that she's got the role, but that Joe Wright will be directing. Emma Thompson is writing the script.

Knightley has been taking singing lessons ever since the possibility came up (and I actually think she proved she had a good voice in The Edge of Love), and I think she'll be absolutely charming as Doolittle. But then I'm biased towards her. Even if you aren't (and I expect many "too skinny!" comments), I think the combination of Wright and Thompson pushes this into very, very promising territory. Thompson can do no wrong by me.

What will really tip the balance is who they cast as the grumpy, misogynist Professor Henry Higgins. The Telegraph reports that Daniel Craig is being considered, and he'd certainly be ideal as the grim Higgins, probably moreso than the dapper Hugh Jackman. I wouldn't mind seeing Patrick Wilson become a contender, and I half wonder if Gerard Butler's vocal chords were trotted out on Saturday Night Live as an audition. Just you wait, and practice your R's, and we'll see whose face Knightley must become accustomed to.

UPDATE: Screenrush caught up with Joe Wright, who says he never signed on, and is uninterested. Given the shakiness of the initial report, it's unclear whether Knightley's casting is official either.

Never Let Me Go will be Mark Romanek's follow-up to One Hour Photo, the sinister Robin Williams film he directed back in 2002. Romanek, as you may know, is a legendary music video director who has worked with Nine Inch Nails, Michael Jackson, Audioslave and Madonna, among others. You may remember his heartbreaking video for Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt," which was all but hailed as the second coming. Though One Hour Photo was not Romanek's first feature film – that would be Static, the surreal, low-budget 1986 drama he co-wrote with Keith Gordon – but it was supposed to be the beginning of a distinguished film career.

From 2002 to 2008, Romanek became attached to a number of projects, none of which made it out of development hell. He was meant to direct an adaptation of the Philip Gourevitch non-fiction crime drama A Cold Case starring Tom Hanks, but that has thus far gone nowhere. He had decided to tackle James Frey's A Million Little Pieces but that, of course, was before it turned out that James Frey was a honking fraud. In 2008, it looked like Romanek would at last cross the finish line with The Wolf Man – and then he walked out on the eve of filming over creative differences. Journeyman director Joe Johnston will be delivering that finished product this November.

We're used to seeing women in peril on the big screen every day; Mary Sues, damsels in distress, call it what you want -- but the sad truth is that for most women, being victimized isn't just limited to the box office. The recent events surrounding Rhianna and Chris Brown have brought the issue of domestic abuse into the spotlight once again, and the disturbing fact remains that most young girls still have some very strange ideas about what constitutes abuse. So while most celebrities don't like to be role models (because they need role models themselves), it's nice to see someone in 'Young Hollywoood' take a stand. Keira Knightley is now starring in a PSA that will be shown on TV and in theaters in the UK about domestic violence for the charity Women's Aid.

The ad has Knightley leaving the set to come home to a jealous and abusive boyfriend, as the abuse continues you see the camera pull away with the tag line, "Isn't it time someone called cut?" as you hear Knightley screaming in the background. The shocking (but highly effective) spot was directed by Joe Wright, who directed Atonement and Pride and Prejudice with Knightley and everyone involved devoted their time for free for the PSA. The ad will begin airing in the UK on April 6th, with an extended version shown in theaters in front of over 15 films.

Do Wright and Knightley take things too far here in depicting domestic violence, or do you feel it's necessary to take things to a very nasty place in order to get the message across?

Fans of the swashbuckling Elizabeth Swann (aka Keira Knightley) might want to take a deep breath. In an interview with our friends at Moviefone, they asked about her possible involvement in Pirates 4, and the gal tells them, "It was a completely fantastic experience, and it was an amazingly large portion of my life, but I don't think I need to go there again. I think that it's done. But I'm very excited to see the next one." This, we assume, would appear to be a very diplomatic way of saying, 'Not on your life pal'.

The Pirates franchise might have made Knightley a household name, but it has become obvious that she's been looking to expand her career beyond playing second fiddle to Captain Jack for some time. Not to mention this isn't the first time that Knightley has said that she would not be returning. So now that we only have Jack Sparrow officially back for the next installment, what could Disney possibly have planned?

Earlier reports had Disney re-booting the franchise as "Captain Jack adventures" and supposedly the film would "toss the Elizabeth and Will characters over the side in favor of doing a bawdy buddy picture which would star Jack Sparrow and Barbossa. Where both captains of the Black Pearl would initially be competing for the exact same prize." But that was over a year ago, and now there are rumors the film will focus entirely on Depp's boozy captain -- but if I may be so bold, perhaps there is a certain British comedian who could be the perfect addition to the Sparrow clan.

So what do you think: will Elizabeth be missed? Or is it about time we all just fess up and admit that the only reason most of us see want another Pirate movie is to see Captain Jack just one more time?

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Cinematical has just received this exclusive clip from The Edge of Love, and while we won't spoil it for you, we will say that it features Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller rubbing, hugging and touching one another. Um, yeah. Seriously, though, The Edge of Love is quietly sneaking up on all of us with its solid ensemble cast (Knightley, Miller, Cillian Murphy and Matthew Rhys) and fascinating story somewhat based on real events surrounding poet Dylan Thomas (Rhys) and the two crazy women vying for his attention.

Poets are nuts -- and the people who fall in love with poets are even nuttier (don't look at me; I'm a blogger, not a poet). Check out the scene below, along with a whole bunch of images; The Edge of Love hits theaters in Los Angeles on March 13 and New York on March 20.

What do you do when you need a pretty actress with limited facial expressions? Well, if Nicole Kidman is busy, I guess you call Keira Knightley (only kidding ... well, maybe not completely kidding). Believe me when I tell you I have nothing personal against the girl, but darn it if I can detect a facial movement in most of her performances other than the example provided to the right. But Knightley's 'reserved' approach to emotion might come in handy now that Variety has announced that the perpetually pouty Ms. Knightley will star as a clone alongside Carey Mulligan in Never Let Me Go, a romantic sci-fi thriller based on the acclaimed novel by Kazuo Ishiguro.

The story centers on three friends who grow up together in a posh boarding school; unfortunately for them, however, this charmed life is a short one and the three learn the disturbing truth that they have been bred for organ donation. Don't worry if this sounds an awful lot like the 2005 stinker, The Island, because unlike Bay's exploration of 'happy organs' and Xbox competitions, Ishiguro's story is much more concerned with existentialism and the meaning of humanity (not exactly Bay country).

Mark Romanek is on board to direct the adaptation, and Alex Garland (28 Days Later) is already at work on a script. Romanek made his name making music videos (even though he didn't make the cut for Monika's list) but has directed only one other feature film: the slightly underwhelming One Hour Photo. But the pressure is on, because unlike The Island, if this flick is a flop we won't be able to blame Michael Bay.

If you were getting sick of seeing Keira Knightley reveling in the world of period pieces, here's a feature for you: Variety reports that both she and Colin Farrell have signed on to star in London Boulevard -- the directorial debut of Departed screenwriter William Monahan.

Based on the novel by Ken Bruen (that Monahan nabbed almost a year ago), the film will focus on a criminal in South London (Farrell), who has just finished doing time in prison for assault. He gets a gig as a loan shark enforcer for a while until he finally finds a new, legitimate job -- handyman for a reclusive young actress (Knightley). This doesn't sound like the sort of gig an ex-criminal would get, but as per usual, it all comes down to the hormones. As Booklist describes it, she's "eager to reward him with cash, cars, and sex."

But don't expect some sort of sexy Basic Instinct movie. He might get the job, but there's also much more London underbelly and revenge drama to add into the mix. Still, it'll be a bit of a change for Knightley, who usually gets to play the paramour, but never the modern-day rich woman looking for a boytoy. We know Farrell can do "bad boy" pretty well, but what about Knightley?

Cinematical has just received this exclusive clip from the period drama The Duchess (click image above or head after the jump to view), directed by Saul Dibb and based on Amanda Foreman's best-selling novel. Starring Keira Knightley as Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, the film chronicles the life of a vibrant beauty and celebrity of her time; a woman held prisoner in an unhappy marriage, but one who'd risk it all for the love of a young politician. (Been there, done that -- right ladies?) Also starring Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling, Dominic Cooper and Hayley Atwell, the following clip takes us inside a pretty intense confrontation between Georgiana and the Duke of Devonshire (Fiennes) as they battle one another for the respect each feels they deserve.

The Duchess (which is currently enjoying a limited release) expands to theaters across the country on October 10.