Thursday, November 5

• John C. Reilly and Mary-Louise Parker Join Cast of Red

  Earlier this week, Helen Mirren officially joined the cast of the upcoming movie adaptation of the graphic novel Red. She took her place alongside a cast that already includes Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman.

  Now, The Hollywood Reporter writes that John C. Reilly and Mary-Louise Parker have signed on as the newest additions.

  The story of Red was written by noted author Warren Ellis and illustrated by Cully Hamner. It focuses on a menial clerk, Paul Moses (Willis), who is actually a CIA operative with a long history of killing enemies of the state. He must come out of retirement when the new CIA director (Freeman) discovers his past and orders his death. Mirren is rumored for the part of Moses' former boss, although it is unclear how much screen time she will have, if any.

  Reportedly, Reilly will portray a retired CIA agent with a streak of paranoia while Parker will play Moses's love interest, a pension worker who helps Moses in his struggle to survive.

  Red is being helmed by Flightplan director Robert Schwentke and will begin shooting in Toronto and Louisiana this coming January. Summit Entertainment has scheduled a November 19, 2010 release.

  
  

  Posted 11/05/2009 by Rich Z

  Related: Bruce Willis | Helen Mirren | Morgan Freeman | John C. Reilly | Robert Schwentke | Mary-Louise Parker | Warren Ellis

Monday, November 2

• Helen Mirren Joins Morgan Freeman and Bruce Willis in Red

  It appears that Helen Mirren plans to cash in on the comic-book craze. Screen Daily writes that the 64-year-old Oscar-winning actress will star opposite Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman in the movie adaptation of the graphic novel Red.

  The story was written by noted author Warren Ellis and illustrated by Cully Hamner. It tells the story of a menial clerk, Paul Moses (Willis), who is actually a CIA operative with a long history of killing enemies of the state. He must come out of retirement when the new CIA director (Freeman) discovers his past and orders his death. Mirren is rumored for the part of Moses's former boss, although it is unclear how much screen time she will have, if any.

  Red is being helmed by Flightplan director Robert Schwentke and will begin shooting in Toronto and Louisiana this coming January. Summit Entertainment has scheduled a November 19, 2010 release.

  
  

  Posted 11/02/2009 by Rich Z

  Related: Bruce Willis | Helen Mirren | Morgan Freeman | Robert Schwentke | Warren Ellis

Thursday, October 29

• Trailer for Clint Eastwood's Invictus Now on the Web

  Clint Eastwood is less than a year away from his 80th birthday, and he's still going strong. Oscar season is not far away, and Eastwood's next release, Invictus, is already gaining buzz as a potential contender.

  The trailer below is now on the web, and it looks and sounds like the trailer for every other drama released by a major studio. That said, the story looks promising: How Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) used the 1995 Rugby World Cup as a platform to address a South Africa still divided after the recent end to apartheid. He enlists the aid of Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), the captain of the South African rugby team, in an effort to unite the country.

  What's refreshing is that neither Freeman nor Damon feels familiar. Although Freeman's voice is easily recognizable, it's different enough from the omnipresent voice-over narration tone we've all heard non-stop since March of the Penguins. And Damon sounds like he's worked quite diligently on a South African accent.

  Invictus is based on the John Carlin book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation. The adapted screenplay was written by Anthony Peckham, who also drafted the script for the upcoming Sherlock Holmes.

  
  

  Posted 10/29/2009 by Rich Z

  Related: Clint Eastwood | Matt Damon | Morgan Freeman | Anthony Peckham | Invictus

Saturday, October 24

• Bruce Willis To Go Red

  Bruce Willis is set to play an ex-CIA agent chased by a high-tech assassin in the comic book adaptation of writer Warren Ellis and artist Cully Hamner's Red. The movie will start shooting in January, according to Mania.

  Robert Schwentke (The Time Traveler's Wife) is directing the project and told MTV in August that the script will stray from Ellis' 3-issue series.

  The script that I've read is obviously different from the comic, because I don't think the comic gives you enough for a two-hour movie. It's very funny, which the comic book isn't. It's not as violent as the comic book. I like switching gears and this is a movie that allows me to do something lighthearted in tone and is also an action movie.

  Morgan Freeman is also set to appear in the movie in the unexplained role of "Joe." Erich and Jon Hoeber (Whiteout) adapted the screenplay.

  
  

  Posted 10/24/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Bruce Willis | Morgan Freeman | Robert Schwentke | Warren Ellis | Jon Hoeber | Erich Hoeber

Friday, September 18

• Matt Damon to Star in Eastwood's Hereafter and Soderbergh's Liberace Pic

  Yesterday afternoon, Variety reported that Matt Damon has agreed to star in Hereafter, Clint Eastwood's next production, with a script by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Queen). Just hours later, Empire reported that Damon had also signed on to star in Steven Soderbergh's upcoming biopic of Liberace.

  Although Warner Bros. is keeping the plot of Hereafter under wraps — describing it only as akin to The Sixth Sense — Movie Line, which claims to have a version of the script, has described the plot in extensive detail. Based on that description, the movie seems less a supernatural thriller and more a tragic meditation on death. Damon's character is described as a "handsome, shy, soft-spoken" factory worker who can ... yes, indeed ... see dead people. Production on Hereafter is expected to begin this fall.

  Meanwhile, Soderbergh confirmed that Damon is onboard for his next project, saying at the Deauville Film Festival that Damon has "accepted the challenge." Damon would most likely play the male lover of Liberace, the flamboyant musician whose stage and TV career spanned from the 1940s to his death in the late 1980s. The movie will apparently focus on a 1982 lawsuit, in which Damon's character revealed Liberace's homosexuality, shocking many around the world.

  The untitled project already has Michael Douglas on board in the main role, and Soderbergh talked about his enthusiasm for Douglas' fit for the role.

  We've already done some costume and wardrobe tests on Michael, and they're very, very, very good.... I swear to you, Michael amazed me. He crushed it.

  Damon has starred in other projects by both directors. He can be seen in Soderbergh's The Informant!, now in theaters, and he is also featured in Eastwood's Invictus, which is due out in December. The latter movie stars Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Damon as Francois Pienaar, captain of South Africa's 1995 Rugby World Cup team. It tells the story of Mandela's attempts to use the rugby event to heal his country's reputation after years of apartheid and internal struggle.

  
  

  Posted 09/18/2009 by Rich Z

  Related: Clint Eastwood | Matt Damon | Michael Douglas | Morgan Freeman | Peter Morgan | Steven Soderbergh | Liberace | The Informant!

Friday, June 5

• Clint Eastwood's Invictus Slated for December Release

  Variety reports that Warner Bros. has announced a December 11 release date for Clint Eastwood's Invictus.

  The movie, formerly titled The Human Factor, stars Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar, captain of South Africa's 1995 Rugby World Cup team. It's based on John Carlin's book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation and tells the story of Mandela's attempts to use the rugby event to heal his country's reputation after years of apartheid and internal struggle. The title comes from the William Ernest Henley poem of same name, which Mandela often quoted.

  Invictus's mid-December release places it at the heart of Oscar season, which means it will undoubtedly get some nominations. Five of the past six Eastwood features were nominated for at least one award, including Million Dollar Baby, which earned Eastwood his second Best Picture and Best Director awards. Surprisingly, the one that wasn't nominated was his most commercially successful, last year's Gran Torino.

  The December 11 release date also puts Invictus aside Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones, so it's already looking to be a very promising Oscar season.

  
  

  Posted 06/05/2009 by Rich Z

  Related: Clint Eastwood | Matt Damon | Morgan Freeman | Peter Jackson | Million Dollar Baby | Gran Torino | The Lovely Bones

Friday, November 7

• What Does It Take To Be Influential in Hollywood?

  Forbes, which we like to think of as the Seventeen of financial magazines because of its incessant list-making, has another list: Hollywood's Influential Actors. To determine the top 10, Forbes relied on data gathered by E-Poll Market Research, a Los Angeles company that gathers information on 4500 celebrities. Apparently, 40% of those polled believe Denzel Washington is "influential," and that's good enough for the top of the list. The others, in declining order of influence, include Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Will Smith, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro, Harrison Ford, James Earl Jones, and "Julie" Roberts. Which just goes to show you, Hollywood stars don't have nearly as much influence as they're typically given credit for -- Roberts hasn't even been able to influence the creators of this list to get her first name right.

  Meanwhile, where are the outspoken Hollywood stars who genuinely make an effort to influence people -- Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Leo DeCaprio, Kelsey Grammer, Arnold Schwarzenegger? The best way to be influential in Hollywood, it seems, is to make mainstream movies that do well at the box office for a couple decades or so, project a vague sense of progressive gravitas at award shows without being overtly political, don't be a woman, and most especially of all, don't be a comedian!

  
  

  Posted 11/07/2008 by reelz

  Related: Denzel Washington | George Clooney | Julia Roberts | Morgan Freeman | Tom Hanks | Will Smith | Angelina Jolie | James Earl Jones

Monday, August 4

• Morgan Freeman Expected to Make a Full Recovery

  ReelzChannel's Dailies obtained an update on the status of Morgan Freeman, who was hospitalized late last night after a car accident in rural Mississippi:

  "Morgan has a broken arm, elbow and has minor shoulder damage but was in good spirits when I spoke with him a short time ago," a representative for the Oscar-winning actor told Dailies. "He is having a little bit of surgery this afternoon or tomorrow to help correct the damage. He says he’ll be OK and is looking forward to a full recovery.”

  Freeman fans are welcome to send well wishes – no flowers or gifts – to PO Box 16548, Encino, CA 91416 in care of Morgan Freeman

  They can also blog him at: http://www.planitnow.org/morgan/.

  
  

  Posted 08/04/2008 by reelz

  Related: Morgan Freeman

• Morgan Freeman in Serious Condition After Accident

  The Associated Press is reporting that Morgan Freeman, star of recent summer blockbusters The Dark Knight and Wanted, has been hospitalized after crashing his car late sunday night in rural Mississippi. According to AP, the Oscar-winning actor is being treated at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee, where his is listed in serious condition.
  
  

  Posted 08/04/2008 by reelz

  Related: Morgan Freeman

Sunday, July 29

• Silvestri gives update on Wanted

  In an exclusive video interview with ReelzChannel.com at Comic-Con, Top Cow Productions founder Marc Silvestri gave us an update on the status of Wanted, the much-anticipated adaptation of Mark Millar's acclaimed graphic novel, which has been called the "Watchmen of super-villains."

  In between autograph sessions at the Top Cow booth, Silvestri, who is exec producing the film, talked about director Timur Bekmambetov's (Night Watch, Day Watch) visual style, the film's likely rating (R versus PG-13) and potential sequel prospects.

  Click here to watch the interview.

  Wanted, which stars Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and Last King of Scotland star James McAvoy, is currently slated for a March 28, 2008 release. 

  
  
  

  Exclusive interview with Marc Silvestri

  The exec producer of Wanted gives us a status report

  Posted 07/29/2007 by reelz

  Related: James McAvoy | Morgan Freeman | Timur Bekmambetov | Angelina Jolie | Wanted

Thursday, March 15

• Starwatching

  As part of my job, I get to interview celebrities. It's a dirty job, all right, but someone's got to do it. But what I found most shocking was when I started seeing them elsewhere.

  So who have I seen so far?

  Morgan Freeman in the elevator of the Four Seasons, preparing to golf.

  Keanu Reeves waiting for the valet to bring his car at the Four Seasons. I used to stage manage for his sister in college, but I resisted the urge to tell him to tell her I said hello.

  My husband saw Jake Gyllenhaal in his car in my office parking lot. And he saw Giovanni Ribisi getting coffee in Larchmont Village and Ryan Gosling walking downtown.

  Kari Wuhrer with her husband and two VERY cute kids at table next to us at a restaurant in Larchmont. Remember her from Remote Control?

  Alex Kingston (aka Dr. Elizabeth Corday from ER) having Valentine's Day dinner at the same hip restaurant as me.

  Bradley Cooper (Alias) and Jennifer Esposito (Crash) taking in a show at the awesome DeafWest theater in Noho.

  Katherine Helmond(Mona from Who's the Boss) at Suzan Lori-Parks' 365 festival.

   

  
  

  
  

  Posted 03/15/2007 by reelz

  Related: Jake Gyllenhaal | Keanu Reeves | Morgan Freeman | Ryan Gosling