Tuesday, October 20

• Laura Dern Joins Cast of Little Fockers

  Laura Dern will join the cast of Little Fockers, according to MTV. In this latest installment of the Meet the Parents franchise, she will play the headmistress of an elementary school.

  Dern is arguably most famous for her roles in Jurassic Park, October Sky, and several David Lynch movies. She also recently earned a Golden Globe for her performance in HBO's Recount. She joins a cast that already includes Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Teri Polo, Owen Wilson, and Jessica Alba.

  The plot of the new movie involves the Fockers (Stiller and Polo) and the changes that result after becoming the parents of twins. Director Paul Weitz talked a little about his take on the story:

  [It's] about no matter how you've moved ahead in your life, there's still anxiety and insecurity around the corner for you.

  Little Fockers is currently scheduled for a July 30, 2010 release.

  
  

  Posted 10/20/2009 by Rich Z

  Related: Ben Stiller | Owen Wilson | Laura Dern | Paul Weitz | Jessica Alba | Teri Polo | Robert DeNiro | Little Fockers | Recount

Wednesday, September 30

• Jessica Alba May Join Little Fockers

  According to The Hollywood Reporter, actress Jessica Alba may be joining Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro in the next installment of the popular Meet the Parents franchise. The third film, titled Little Fockers, will focus on the children of Greg Focker (Stiller) and Pam Byrnes (played by Teri Polo).

  If Alba joins the cast, she would play a pharmaceutical rep that becomes the center of attention for the male characters in the movie. Another possible cast addition is Raven-Symoné, who is in talks to play the Fockers' babysitter, Tamyra

  Little Fockers will be helmed by Paul Weitz, replacing Jay Roach in the director's chair. Weitz recently directed Cirque de Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, due in theaters October 23.

  
  
  Next Showing: Little Fockers opens July 30, 2010
  

  Reelz Clip
  

  Reelz Clip

  Posted 09/30/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Ben Stiller | Raven-Symone | Paul Weitz | Jessica Alba | Robert DeNiro | Meet the Fockers | Meet the Parents

• John C. Reilly on Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

  

  Actor John C. Reilly has played many roles in the more than 50 movies he has appeared in, but he's never really had the opportunity to "sink his teeth" into a role like the one he has in Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant. In director Paul Weitz's adaptation of the popular Cirque du Freak young adult novels by Darren Shan, Reilly plays Larten Crepsley, a vampire working in a traveling freak show. In a recent interview, Reilly said that it was Crepsley's humanity that attracted him to the role, rather than the character's supernatural abilities.

  What drew me to the role was the fact that it was a real person, that he wasn't some supernatural mystical being that can turn into a vampire bat. The powers weren't so extreme that it was just another thing altogether, that this guy was a person who was alive in the 1800's who was essentially about my age.

  So, I am like a 40-year-old who has been alive for 250 years or whatever ... that was interesting. You must have had really thrilling runs there. And then other times when it was just very dark. You almost wish you were dead.

  Reilly said that he is "contracturally bound" to return in a sequel, if one is made, and that he would be interested in further exploring the world that Shan created in his books.

  I really hope it does happen because there are some really exciting parts of these books yet to come. They go on these wild adventures. And once the War of the Scars is reignited between the two vampire clans, it really gets intense in the books, and Darren has to go off and be trained properly to be a real vampire warrior. There is a lot of cool stuff. There are some other really interesting characters that come in. And then Darren has to deal with what it is to be a vampire and go through some of the same heartbreak that Crepsley has been through. And you realize, "Um, if I don't make this person a vampire too and curse them with this, then I am going to lose them pretty quick."

  Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant also stars Salma Hayek, Willem DaFoe, Ken Watanabe, Orlando Jones, and Ray Stevenson

  
  
  Next Showing: Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant opens October 23
  

  Reelz Clip

  Two bored teenagers lives are turned around when they meet a vampire at a freak show in this trailer

  Posted 09/30/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: John Reilly | Paul Weitz | Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

Sunday, August 9

• First Image of Salma Hayek in Cirque du Freak

  

  The first picture of actress Salma Hayek (Frida) as her character in Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant has been released, and it's a hairy one. Hayek's character, Madame Truska, performs as a "bearded lady" in a traveling freak show with her lover, Larten Crepsley (played by John C. Reilly), the titular vampire. The movie is based on the popular Cirque du Freak young adult novels by Darren Shan.

  When asked about playing such an unusual character, Hayek told Entertainment Weekly:

  

  ... she needs to be very comfortable with herself. I thought, of all people to have that problem, she'd be an interesting one.

  Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant is directed by Paul Weitz (American Pie) and also stars Willem DaFoe, Ken Watanabe, Orlando Jones, and Ray Stevenson

  
  
  Next Showing: Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant opens October 23

  Posted 08/09/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Salma Hayek | Paul Weitz | Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

Wednesday, March 11

• Horror Wunderkind In The Running To Direct Eclipse

  Another name has emerged as a possible Eclipse director. Sadly, but not surprisingly, it's another dude. Juan Antonio Bayona is reportedly, along with Drew Barrymore, Paul Weitz, and James Mangold, in the running to helm Eclipse.

  Spaniard Bayona is a protege of Guillermo del Toro and known for his horror work. He received critical acclaim for his Gothic Spanish-language flick The Orphanage, and he's set to make his English-language debut directing the thriller Hater for Universal. With him behind the lens, Eclipse would probably be more of a genre flick than its Twilight predecessors.

  
  

  Posted 03/11/2009 by Hailey

  Related: Drew Barrymore | James Mangold | Paul Weitz | Guillermo del Toro | Juan Antonio Bayona | Twilight | The Twilight Saga: Eclipse | The Orphanage | The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Friday, February 20

• Fockers Won't Have Roach

  Whether it's needed or not, it looks like there's going to be a follow-up to Meet the Fockers, which as you'll recall was the sequel to Meet the Parents, a movie that was far better than its sequel and likely better that this future one too.

  Little Fockers will presumably be about the Fockers' children. Jay Roach, who directed the first two movies, will not direct this one as he's busy with Dinner for Schmucks. John Hamburg, a Ben Stiller collaborator who did drafts on both Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers, is at work on a draft of Little Fockers. A number of candidates are said to be in the running to direct, including Paul Weitz (In Good Company), David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer), and Peyton Reed (Yes Man).

  Owen Wilson, who had a small role in the first two movies, could have a bigger one in this one, which is typically a good thing.

  
  

  Posted 02/20/2009 by Hailey

  Related: Ben Stiller | Owen Wilson | Peyton Reed | David Wain | Paul Weitz | Jay Roach | Meet the Fockers | Meet the Parents

Thursday, May 29

• Willem Dafoe Plays Vamp in Cirque Du Freak

  ReelzChannel.com and a few other online outlets were part of a group brought down to the set of Cirque Du Freak in New Orleans earlier this week. We saw the sets, spoke to cast and watched some filming.

  Sadly, we are sworn to secrecy for now, but what we can tell you is that Willem Dafoe has joined the cast as Gavner Purl. This has been confirmed and actually, we saw him on set in full costume.

  Cirque Du Freak is an adaptation of the first three books of the popular U.K. series by Darren Shan. Paul Weitz (About a Boy, American Pie) directs. Joining Dafoe in the cast of freaks and vampires is Salma Hayek as Madame Truska (aka "The Bearded Lady") and, actually, she doesn't look half bad with a burly beard. There's also John C. Reilly as Larten Crepsley, Ken Watanabe as Mr. Tall and Patrick Fugit as Snake Boy.

  If you're a fan of the Cirque Du Freak novels, drop us a line or post a comment below and let us know what you think about this one. More to come on Cirque Du Freak!

  
  

  Posted 05/29/2008 by reelz

  Related: Salma Hayek | John C. Reilly | Paul Weitz