Actress – We Are Movie Geeks

Hattie McDaniel, First Black Person to Be Nominated For And Win An Academy Award, Replacement Oscar Ceremony At Howard University October 1

(Original Caption) 3/2/1940- Los Angeles, CA: Actress Hattie Mc Daniel is shown with the statuette she received for her portrayal in “Gone With The Wind.” The award was for Best Supporting Role by an Actress, and was made at the 12th annual Academy Awards ceremony.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures announced today the Academy will gift to the Howard University Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts a replacement of actor Hattie McDaniel’s Best Supporting Actress Academy Award^®. Howard University will host a ceremony titled “Hattie’s Come Home” at its Ira Aldridge Theater in Washington, D.C., on October 1, 2023.

The ceremony will celebrate the life and legacy of McDaniel, her historic Academy Award win, and reunite her Academy Award with Howard University as she originally intended. The event will include opening remarks by Phylicia Rashad, Dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University, the performance of a medley of songs from current students and faculty of the College, and an excerpt of “Boulevard of Bold Dreams,” a play by LaDarrion Williams. Representatives of the Academy and the Academy Museum will be at the ceremony, including Jacqueline Stewart, Ph.D., Director and President of the Academy Museum, and Executive Vice President of Oscars Strategy Teni Melidonian, who will present the plaque to the university. Stewart will host a moderated conversation about McDaniel’s career with Greg Carr, Ph.D., Howard University Associate Professor of Africana Studies and Chair of the Department of Afro-American Studies; Rhea Combs, Ph.D., Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery; Kevin John Goff, filmmaker, actor and Hattie McDaniel’s great-grandnephew; Khalid Long, Ph.D., Howard University Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, author, director and dramaturg; and Rashad. The plaque’s new home will be in the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts.

Reproduction of the Award Presented to Hattie McDaniel in Recognition of her Performance in Gone With The Wind of Merit for Outstanding Achievement, Presented to Howard University by The Academy, Photographed on Tuesday September 19, 2023 at The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles, California

“Hattie McDaniel was a groundbreaking artist who changed the course of cinema and impacted generations of performers who followed her. We are thrilled to present a replacement of Hattie McDaniel’s Academy Award to Howard University,” said Stewart and Academy CEO Bill Kramer. “This momentous occasion will celebrate Hattie McDaniel’s remarkable craft and historic win.”

“When I was a student in the College of Fine Arts at Howard University, in what was then called the Department of Drama, I would often sit and gaze in wonder at the Academy Award that had been presented to Ms. Hattie McDaniel, which she had gifted to the College of Fine Arts,” said Rashad. “I am overjoyed that this Academy Award is returning to what is now the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University. This immense piece of history will be back in the College of Fine Arts for our students to draw inspiration from. Ms. Hattie is coming home!”

The Academy Museum has honored and contextualized McDaniel’s legacy in both the Academy Awards History Gallery and its temporary exhibition Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971. A performer on stage, radio and screen, McDaniel appeared in some 300 films throughout her career. In 1940, McDaniel made history as the first Black person to be nominated for and to win a competitive Academy Award for her supporting performance as “Mammy” in Gone with the Wind (1939). At the 12th Academy Awards c eremony at the segregated Cocoanut Grove at the Ambassador Hotel, McDaniel and her guest were seated separately from the film’s other nominees.

McDaniel received not a statuette but a plaque, as was customary for supporting performance winners from 1936 to 1942. Though its whereabouts today are unknown, McDaniel’s award stands out in Academy history; it would be 51 years before another Black woman would win an acting Oscar^®. McDaniel bequeathed her Academy Award to Howard University upon her death in 1952. The award was displayed at the university’s drama department until the late 1960s.

McDaniel’s acceptance speech can currently be viewed in full in the museum’s Academy Awards History Gallery, and, notably, her win is recognized in the Oscars Gallery of statuettes, but through a vitrine that stands empty. Her acceptance speech, as recorded for newsreel cameras at the time, is noted below:

“Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science[s], fellow members of the motion picture industry and honored guests. This is one of the happiest moments of my life, and I want to thank each one of you who had a part in selecting me for one of the awards for your kindness. It has made me feel very, very humble and I shall always hold it as a beacon for anything I may be able to do in the future. I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry. My heart is too full to tell you just how I feel. And may I say thank you and God bless you.”

Image Credits: Actor Hattie McDaniel c. 1940 with her original Academy Award plaque for Actress in a Supporting Role for Gone with the Wind (1939). Photo by Bettmann/Getty Images; Reproduction of the original plaque of Hattie McDaniel’s Academy Award for Actress in a Supporting Role for Gone with the Wind (1939). Gift from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to Howard University. Photo by Owen Kolasinski/© Academy Museum Foundation.

Zoë Kravitz To Star In BITER

Paperclip Ltd and Winterlight Pictures have announced the new feature “Biter,” a dark comedy about a young woman who fantasizes about biting one of her co-workers, based on the short story of the same name from Kristen Roupenian’s acclaimed debut book “You Know You Want This.” The film will star Zoë Kravitz, who will also produce on behalf of her production company This Is Important.

“Biter” is co-produced by Paperclip Ltd. Founded in 2014 by Yeardley Smith and Ben Cornwell for the purpose of developing and producing projects with distinct points of view across all mediums, at their earliest stages, Paperclip’s expansive film portfolio includes thrillers “Possessions” and “Alone,” GLAAD Award-nominated “Gossamer Folds,” “Who Are You People,” and SXSW Audience Award-winner “All Square.”

Co-producer Winterlight Pictures brought the project to Kravitz and Paperclip Ltd. Founded by Chris Goldberg, Winterlight Pictures is also producing an adaptation of the #1 NY Times Bestseller “The Maid” by Nita Prose at Universal Pictures, as well as dozens of other IP-driven projects for film and TV. The company has collaborated with many authors on short story-based projects, including Duane Swierczynski whose story “Lush” is at Lionsgate, Christian Cantrell whose story is set up at MRC, and one of Goldberg’s own short stories which is in development as a feature at Netflix.

Said Chris Goldberg: “As an IP-driven company, short story-based projects have become a huge part of our slate. There is nobody who has broken out in the world of short stories quite like Kristen Roupenian. We are so proud to be working with such an exceptional talent and voice of her generation. We were also blown away by Zoë Kravitz in “Kimi” and “The Batman,” and could not be more excited to collaborate with someone so multi-talented and quickly emerging as one of the world’s biggest movie stars.”

Said Yeardley Smith and Ben Cornwell: “Our team at Paperclip Ltd is excited to work with incredible talents Zoë and Kristen in front of and behind the camera on this thrilling narrative, and Chris and the team at Winterlight are ideal creative partners.”

Zoë Kravitz recently wrapped her directorial debut with the original motion picture film, “Pussy Island” written by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum, starring Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum. In a highly competitive situation, MGM landed global distribution rights. Kravitz most recently starred as Catwoman in Matt Reeves and Warner Bros.’ acclaimed blockbuster film “The Batman” as well as in the critically acclaimed New Line/HBO Max Original feature “Kimi,” Steven Soderbergh’s unnerving surveillance thriller, in addition to roles in celebrated TV series such as “Big Little Lies” and “High Fidelity.” Kravitz was named one of “The 100 Most Influential People of 2022” by TIME.

She is repped by CAA and Untitled Entertainment.

Emily Blunt Talks A QUIET PLACE PART II, BLACK WIDOW, EDGE OF TOMORROW SEQUEL And FANTASTIC FOUR Rumors

Evelyn (Emily Blunt) braves the unknown in “A Quiet Place Part II.”

If there is one film that will get people back in the theaters, it is without a doubt A QUIET PLACE II. Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path. The film opens in theaters May 28.

On Tuesday, Emily Blunt and Howard Stern discussed A QUIET PLACE as well as A QUIET PLACE PART II, but the biggest takeaway from the interview was the rumor about FANTASTIC FOUR casting.

Word on the street was they’d been cast to portray the superhero group’s romantically entwined characters: Sue Storm, a.k.a. the Invisible Woman, and Reed Richards, a.k.a. the ultra-stretchy Mr. Fantastic.

“That is fan-casting. No one has received a phone call,” Blunt told Howard. “That’s just people saying, ‘Wouldn’t that be great?’”

Considering A QUIET PLACE PART II features a world ravaged by an unexpected and difficult to understand menace, Howard thought his guest’s new film was perfect for the COVID-19 era.

“It’s sort of eerie how much the themes resonate with people much more now,” Emily agreed. “The world expands [in “Part II.”] The family’s home has been decimated, so they have to venture out, and it’s like which neighborhood will extend their hand to you? Who wants to help you and touch you and look out for you?”

The movie premiered in New York City last March just as the pandemic grabbed ahold of the world. As the public health situation worsened, Krasinski decided to pull the film from theaters just before its wide release. Now, over a year later, “A Quiet Place Part II” finally has its chance to shine.

“I feel like I’ve been sitting on my hands for a year, waiting for people to see it with my knees juggling. I just want people to see it so badly,” Emily said. “I never tell people to see my films, ever—this one is such an inspired sequel and I’m really proud of it.”

https://www.aquietplacemovie.com/

The making of A QUIET PLACE.

Before it went to Scarlett Johansson, Emily Blunt passed on the role of Black Widow. She explains the contract issue that forced the decision while talking with Howard Stern.

Lastly, the two discussed where the long-awaited sequel for EDGE OF TOMORROW stands along with Blunt’s thoughts on the original movie and working with Tom Cruise.

Jamie Lee Curtis’ Comet Pictures And Blumhouse Collaborate On Horror Movie, MOTHER NATURE

Actress, director, producer, author and activist Jamie Lee Curtis has signed a three-year, first look deal via her company, Comet Pictures, with Blumhouse for both film and television. Russell Goldman has also been appointed as Head of Development for film and television at Comet Pictures. Blumhouse and Comet Pictures’s first collaboration is the horror film, Mother Nature, which is centered around climate change. Curtis will direct the film that Goldman and she are writing together.

“I’m 61 and my motto now is: ‘If not now, when, if not me, who?’ I’m excited to have a creative home to explore my own ideas and others. Jason and his team have made me feel welcome. Comet is ready to bring these stories to screen life,” said Jamie Lee Curtis

“Jamie is a force of nature and was a real partner on Halloween. So it’s both an honor and incredibly apt that she’s making her first feature film as a director with Mother Nature,” said Jason Blum, Blumhouse CEO and Founder.

Jamie Lee Curtis and Blumhouse had a wildly successful, global collaboration with the film Halloween, which starred Curtis and was directed by David Gordon Green. The film went on to become the highest-grossing installment in the classic horror franchise at more than $255 million worldwide. The film had the biggest debut for a horror movie with a female lead and the biggest opening for a movie with a 55+ female lead. Two additional films have been slated in the franchise — Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends — which are slated to be released on October 16, 2020 and October 15, 2021 respectively. Curtis serves as an executive producer on all three films.

Russell Goldman is a writer and filmmaker from Virginia who has worked with Curtis and David Gordon Green. Russell’s most recent short film No Comment had an online premiere on Film Shortage in April 2020. His previous short Summer of Connor played at film festivals across the world, including HollyShorts and Frameline43.

It was recently announced that Curtis will star in, direct and executive produce, How We Sleep at Night: The Sara Cunningham Story for Lifetime. The film is a passion project for Curtis who optioned the rights to Cunningham’s memoir last year. Jamie’s previous directing credits include Scream Queens and Anything But Love.

Jamie Lee Curtis is represented by CAA and Jackoway, Austen, Tyerman, Wertheimer, Mandelbaum, Morris, Bernstein, Trattner & Klein.

Academy Award Winner Natalie Portman Will Star As “Celeste” In VOX LUX

Bold Films announced today that they have joined forces with Andrew Lauren Productions (ALP) to finance and produce VOX LUX, written and directed by Brady Corbet (The Childhood of a Leader), and starring Academy Award Winner Natalie Portman (Black Swan) in the lead role of ‘Celeste.’ Jude Law is also attached in a leading role.

The soundtrack will feature all original songs written by Grammy-nominated artist Sia.

ALP’s Andrew Lauren and D.J. Gugenheim will be producing along with Killer Films’ Christine Vachon and David Hinojosa, Bold Films’ Michel Litvak, Gary Michael Walters, David Litvak and Svetlana Metkina and Brian Young from Three Six Zero Entertainment. Portman and Law will executive produce along with Sia. Sierra/Affinity is representing the international rights and will be selling the project in Berlin. Endeavor Content and CAA will represent the US rights.

Vox Lux follows the rise of ‘Celeste’ from the ashes of a major national tragedy to pop superstardom. This 15-year odyssey, set between 1999 and the present day, tracks the important cultural evolutions of the 21st Century through Celeste’s eyes. Start of principal photography is slated for February 1st in New York City.

“We are thrilled to welcome such a stellar actress as Natalie Portman to the cast,” said Bold Films Chairman Michel Litvak.

“I was mesmerized by the scope and vision of Brady’s first film, Childhood of a Leader. I don’t think Brady is of this century. His work is more reminiscent of a Sergei Eisenstein or Fritz Lang. When you sit with him, his encyclopedic knowledge of film is intimidating and his passion is infectious,” said ALP principal Andrew Lauren.

“Andrew Lauren and ALP are an outstanding strategic partner, and we are excited to work with them,” said Bold Films CEO Gary Michael Walters.

Portman will next star in Alex Garland’s Annihilation, which Paramount Pictures is releasing next month, and will also be seen in Xavier Dolan’s upcoming film The Death and Life of John F. Donovan.

Bold Films most recently produced and financed Wash Westmoreland’s Colette starring Keira Knightley, which had its world premiere in Sundance and was acquired by 30WEST and Bleecker Street. ALP is currently in post-production on High Life, the English-language debut of acclaimed French filmmaker Claire Denis, which stars Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, and André Benjamin.

Portman is represented by CAA and George Sheanshang. ALP is represented by attorney David Boyle.

THE MANY DIFFERENT FACES OF JESSICA CHASTAIN: From MISS SLOANE To ZERO DARK THIRTY

Jessica Chastain is a two-time Academy Award nominee who has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actresses of her generation. She has received numerous nominations and accolades for her work from the LA Film Critics, British Academy of Film and TV, Broadcast Film Critics, HFPA, National Board of Review, Screen Actors Guild, Film Independent and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, to name a few.

The actresses’ latest film, MISS SLOANE, opens in cinemas on December 9, 2016.

In the high-stakes world of political power-brokers, Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain) is the most sought-after and formidable lobbyist in D.C. Known equally for her cunning and her track record of success, she has always done whatever is required to win. But when she takes on the most powerful opponent of her career, she finds that winning may come at too high a price.

Chastain can soon be seen in Niki Caro’s adaptation of Diane Ackerman’s novel THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE, opposite Daniel Brühl, set to release on March 31, 2017.

4101_D004_01936_R Jessica Chastain stars as Antonina Zabinski in director Niki Caro's THE ZOOKEEPER'S WIFE, a Focus Features release. Credit: Anne Marie Fox / Focus Features — Credit: Anne Marie Fox / Focus Features

She is currently in production for Susanna White’s period drama Woman Walks Ahead, opposite Sam Rockwell.

Chastain will portray Catherine Weldon, a 19th-century Brooklyn artist and activist who moved to the Standing Rock Reservation in Dakota Territory to help Sioux chieftain Sitting Bull fight to keep the land for his people.

She has wrapped production for Xavier Dolan’s The Death And Life Of John F. Donovan, alongside Natalie Portman, Kit Harington and Nicholas Hoult, and will also be seen in Aaron Sorkin’s film adaptation of Molly Bloom’s memoir Molly’s Game opposite Idris Elba.

In addition to her thriving acting career, she recently launched Freckle Films, a new production venture, and inked a first-look overhead deal with Trudie Styler and Celine Rattray’s transatlantic financing-production banner Maven Pictures. The two companies have already optioned two books: The Magician’s Lie, by Greer Macallister, and Camille Pagan’s novel Life and Other Near-Death Experiences.

In addition, she produced and starred as the lead in Weinstein’s indie darling The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, opposite James McAvoy, starred in Liv Ullmann’s film adaptation of August Strindberg’s play Miss Julie, opposite Colin Farrell.

In honor of MISS SLOANE coming to theaters this Friday December 9, let’s count down her best roles!

Photo Credit: Kerry Hayes. ©2016 EuropaCorp – France 2 Cinema.

MISS SLOANE – A thrilling and believable character drama about a woman on the edge confronting her love of winning, her ambition and her place in the world, Jessica Chastain brings authority and believability to her character.

TREE OF LIFE – There’s not a lot of dialog, but her graceful, caring mother is the film’s most moving, memorable character. Chastain starred as the lead in Terrence Malick’s Academy Award-nominated drama, opposite Brad Pitt and Sean Penn. The film won the Palme d’Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and the Chicago Film Critics award for Best Picture.

CRIMSON PEAK – A weird film, but she plays a juicy role as a crazy villain. She starred in Guillermo del Toro’s CRIMSON PEAK opposite Charlie Hunnam, Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska.

A MOST VIOLENT YEAR– An unjustly overlooked twisty crime thriller from 2014, where she plays the female lead, wife & business partner of Oscar Issacs’ character. Her riveting performance proved successful after the film garnered acclaim from many critics including the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe nomination and Film Independent Spirit Award nomination.

THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER’S WAR (2016) – Earlier this year, Chastain starred in Universal’s The Huntsman: Winter’s War alongside Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron and Emily Blunt with Cedric Nicolas-Troyan directing. Sure, a dumb film, but she makes one fierce warrior babe.

SALOME – Chastain played the title character in Al Pacino’s biblical drama.

The Biblical story of Salome, a girl who agrees to perform the “dance of the seven veils” in return for John the Baptist’s head on a silver platter. A bit of trivia, Salomé was the first film Jessica Chastain ever did and she was very nervous for the audition.

LAWLESS – In this fact-inspired tale of a Depression era backwoods family of bootleggers, she played a love interest steamy enough to bring bootlegger Tom Hardy back from near death. A fun but bloody gangster film.

THE DEBT – Starring alongside Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington, the espionage thriller begins in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel (Academy Award winner Helen Mirren) and Stephan (two-time Academy Award nominee Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Ciarán Hinds of Focus’ “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day”).

All three have been venerated for decades by their country because of the mission that they undertook back in 1966, when the trio (portrayed, respectively, by Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington) tracked down Nazi war criminal Vogel (Jesper Christensen) in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable personal cost, the team’s mission was accomplished – or was it? The suspense builds in and across two different time periods, with startling action and surprising revelations.

ZERO DARK THIRTY – Her performance in Kathryn Bigelow’s brilliant film garnered several awards, including the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama, and her second consecutive Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. In the film, Chastain stars as Maya, whose character was inspired by a real CIA analyst who was instrumental in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. “Zero Dark Thirty” earned several nominations, including Best Film (among many others) for the NYT Critic Awards and Independent Spirit awards.

THE HELP – Chastain starred in Dreamworks’ Academy Award-nominated adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s novel THE HELP, which won numerous awards in 2011 including Chastain’s Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination and Critics’ Choice nomination.

THE MARTIAN – Last year, she starred in Ridley Scott’s movie alongside Matt Damon, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Kate Mara. Jessica Chastain, who portrays Lewis says, “She is such a well-written character, another in the legacy of Ridley’s remarkable women characters. Lewis came from the Navy, and has to lead a team of specialists who are very smart and have very specific tasks to perform. She is friendly and personable with her crew, but wants to leave no doubt as to who is in charge.”

The film received a 2016 Academy Award nomination and won the 2016 Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical.

INTERSTELLAR – Chastain said, “This story is full of longing and heartbreak, but at its core is the beautiful idea that even if love is not something you can hold in your hands, it remains with you across vast distances in time and space.” Co-starring in director Christopher Nolan’s epic film, the growing desperation of those trying to survive on Earth only intensifies the urgency of her character’s quest to find a solution. “She is aware, perhaps more than anyone, of how precious time is.”

TAKE SHELTER – Chastain starred in Jeff Nichols’ film, opposite Michael Shannon and turned in another quiet performance. “Jessica Chastain is striking and impressive.” – Ty Burr, BOSTON GLOBE.

Contributed by Cate Marquis and Michelle McCue

Jodie Foster To Star In HOTEL ARTEMIS

The Ink Factory, a multi-platform production company dedicated to high-end story telling through film, television and on digital, today announced that two-time Academy Award-winner Jodie Foster will star in Drew Pearce’s much-anticipated directorial debut HOTEL ARTEMIS. Simon and Stephen Cornwell are producing for The Ink Factory, which will also finance.

Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Godzilla) will direct from his own script, with Adam Siegel and Marc Platt producing for Marc Platt Productions. The Ink Factory’s Becky Sloviter is overseeing, and Pearce will executive produce through his Point of No Return production banner.

Set in its own distinctive crime universe, HOTEL ARTEMIS is based on an original script by Pearce. Jodie Foster joins the original near-future thriller in the character of “The Nurse.”

“Casting Jodie Foster is a real coup. She is an extraordinary talent and will bring something very special to the film. We are delighted to welcome her to this exciting production,” said The Ink Factory’s Stephen Cornwell. “Drew’s vision is unique and we can’t wait to see it brought to life by a stellar cast.”

Said Platt, “Jodie and I have enjoyed a long professional and personal relationship that dates back to our days together at Orion where we collaborated on The Silence of the Lambs and her directorial debut, Little Man Tate. She is an accomplished artist in every way, and Adam and I look forward to collaborating with her on Drew’s directorial debut.”

Drew Pearce commented, “Jodie Foster is an icon, pure and simple. She’s an extraordinary artist, and to be working with one of the all-time greats on my first feature as a director is an absolute honor.”

Foster has won two Academy Awards for her performances in The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs. Recent credits include The Beaver for Summit Entertainment, which she also directed, and Elysium for Sony and TriStar Pictures. Foster most recently directed Money Monster (Julia Roberts, George Clooney), which premiered in Cannes and was distributed by Sony.

Foster is represented by ICM Partners’ Joe Funicello and attorney Matt Saver. Pearce is represented by WME and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.

THE MANY DIFFERENT FACES OF NAOMI WATTS: From SHUT IN to BIRDMAN

Photo Credit: Jan Thjs.. ©2015 EuropaCorp - Transfilm International Inc. — Photo Credit: Jan Thjs.. ©2015 EuropaCorp – Transfilm International Inc.

Naomi Watts is one of the most well rounded actresses in Hollywood! From her work in the award winning Birdman and the cult classic Mulholland Dr. to her upcoming heart-pounding thriller SHUT IN she’s proven she can handle any genre of film.

In honor of SHUT IN coming to theaters this Friday November 11th let’s count down her best roles!

SHUT IN

(Image credit: Europacorp)

Naomi Watts stars in SHUT IN as a widowed child psychologist who lives an isolated existence in rural New England. When a young boy she is treating goes missing, and is presumed dead, she becomes convinced that his ghost is haunting her and her bedridden son. Her role in SHUT IN is definitely one to be remembered!

BIRDMAN or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

(Image credit: Fox Searchlight)

In this critically acclaimed film from 2014 Naomi Watts gives a dynamic performance. Under the direction of award winning director Alejandro Iñárritu, Watts’ performance is not one to be missed!

THE RING

(Image credit: DreamWorks Distribution)

Adapted from a Japanese film THE RING is definitely a fan favorite! Starring Naomi Watts as Rachel, she investigates a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone in a week of viewing it. Her chilling performance makes this a must watch!

MULHOLLAND DRIVE

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

After a car wreck on the winding Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesiac, she and a perky Hollywood-hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles in a twisting venture beyond dreams and reality. This cult classic film definitely put Naomi Watts on everyone’s list as one to watch!

THE IMPOSSIBLE

(Image credit: Summit Entertainment LCC)

In this film Naomi Watts’ take on the role of a mother. When traveling to Thailand with her family a tsunami hits and separates her family. This heart wrenching film is sure to bring tears to your eyes.

Learn more about SHUT IN:
www.ShutInMovie.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ShutInMovie

Twitter: www.twitter.com/shutinmovie

Hashtag: #ShutIn

THE SENSE OF AN ENDING Photo Features The Fantastic Charlotte Rampling

CBS Films has released this first photo from their upcoming film THE SENSE OF AN ENDING.

Tony Webster (Jim Broadbent) leads a reclusive and quiet existence until long buried secrets from his past force him to face the flawed recollections of his younger self, the truth about his first love (Charlotte Rampling) and the devastating consequences of decisions made a lifetime ago.

The motion picture is adapted for the screen by award-winning playwright Nick Payne and produced by David Thompson and Ed Rubin (Woman In Gold).

The film features a who’s who of UK actors – Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent (Iris), Academy Award nominee Charlotte Rampling (45 Years), Harriet Walter (The Young Victoria), Emily Mortimer (Hugo), Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), Billy Howle (The Seagull), Freya Mavor (The White Queen) and Joe Alywn ( Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk).

It was announced in June that Rampling would star alongside Alicia Vikander and Eva Green in EUPHORIA from director Lisa Langseth. The pic is the English-language directorial debut of Swedish writer and director.

THE SENSE OF AN ENDING will open in theaters later this year.

Photo: CBS Films/Robert Viglasky

Daisy Ridley In Talks To Play OPHELIA In Title Role

Two-time Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts (DIVERGENT series, THE IMPOSSIBLE) and rising superstar Daisy Ridley (STAR WARS VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS) are in final negotiations to star in OPHELIA, the highly-anticipated and dynamic reimagining of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” focusing on the untold story of Ophelia’s (Ridley) tragic romance with the prince and her relationship with his mother Queen Gertrude (Watts), it was announced today by Covert Media’s CEO Paul Hanson.

To be directed by Claire McCarthy (THE WAITING CITY), OPHELIA is based on the award winning novel by Lisa Klein and adapted for the screen by the acclaimed and award-winning writer Semi Chellas (“MAD MEN,” “THE ELEVENTH HOUR”).

“OPHELIA is brimming with youth-fueled charisma, exploring the nature of true love and beauty, and I’m so excited to bring this fresh mythic spin to Hamlet from a female perspective,” commented Claire McCarthy. “This retelling will be experienced through the eyes of Ophelia and has the kind of romance, complexity and suspense that makes this beloved story exciting to younger audiences,” she continued.

Independent feature production, financing, and distribution company Covert Media is financing the film that’s being produced by Daniel Bobker and Ehren Kruger (THE BROTHERS GRIMM) and Sarah Curtis (HYSTERIA). Covert is handling international rights to the film. CAA, which packaged and arranged the financing, will represent the film’s U.S. rights.

Set in the 14th Century but spoken in a contemporary voice, OPHELIA is a pulse-pounding insight into a perilous world of murder and betrayal. Ophelia takes center stage as the Queen’s most trusted lady-in-waiting. Beautiful and intelligent, she soon captures the attention of the handsome Prince Hamlet and their forbidden love blossoms. As war brews, lust and betrayal are tearing Elsinore Castle apart and Ophelia must decide between her true love or her own life in order to protect a very dangerous secret.

“Sarah, Ehren & I have always treated this film like a jewel, since there’s something extra precious in bringing to life a treasured female icon, celebrated for centuries as an alluring figure in the shadows of Shakespeare’s most famous work, without ever really having her own story told,” said Producer Daniel Bobker. “Whether it’s for the legions of fans of romantic tragic characters, or the millions of visitors who annually seek out the classic Millais painting of Ophelia at London’s Tate Gallery, Ophelia holds a special place in the heart of the cultural canon—so we couldn’t be more thrilled to have the talented female team of Daisy Ridley, Naomi Watts, and Claire McCarthy set to make a film with our friends at Covert Media that’ll finally shed light on a character who’s fascinated so many for so long.”

Director Claire McCarthy’s award-winning feature film THE WAITING CITY starring Joel Edgerton and Radha Mitchell premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2010. In her most recent work, THE TURNING, an omnibus feature, Claire directed the centerpiece segment starring Rose Byrne, who won Best Actress at the Australian Academy Awards in 2015.

Paul Hanson said: “Claire is an exciting, new directing talent. In THE WAITING CITY she beautifully brought to life rich characters through strong performances in an exotic setting. OPHELIA will tap into the same unique strengths to create a rich, thrilling and vital world inhabited by the incomparable Daisy Ridley and Naomi Watts.”

Liz Kim Schwan continued: “Daisy Ridley’s fresh blend of strength and vulnerability is perfect for the title role of Ophelia. Coupled with Watt’s incredible and fearless talent, this acting combination will underpin a powerful and contemporary film that is sharp and accessible for a broad young audience.”

The project was brought to Covert Media by Vice President of Production and Development Elissa Friedman. The deal was negotiated by Covert’s Chet Devaskar, EVP of Legal and Business Affairs and Maren Olson for CAA with Jason Sloane and Mark Wetzstein of Sloane, Offer, Webber, and Dern alongside Michael Schenkman of Bloom, Hergott, Diemer, Rosenthal, Laviolette, Feldman, Schenkman & Goodman on behalf of the filmmakers.

Playing the title role of Ophelia, Daisy Ridley has become a global phenomenon after starring as Rey in JJ Abram’s STAR WARS: EPISODE VII – THE FORCE AWAKENS. With the film grossing over $1.87 billion worldwide and earning five Oscar-nominations, Ridley immediately became Hollywood’s newest it-girl. Ridley is currently filming the next installation of STAR WARS for director Rian Johnson. She’s also attached to star in Marielle Heller’s KOLMA with JJ Abrams producing for Paramount. She’s also attached to the drama THE LOST WIFE based on the book by Alyson Richman. Ridley is also an executive producer on the documentary THE EAGLE HUNSTRESS which premiered at Sundance this year and will be released by Sony Picture Classics.

Naomi Watts will next star in Destin Daniel Cretton’s THE GLASS CASTLE opposite Brie Larson for Lionsgate, and will star in and executive produce the Netflix series GYPSY. She is currently starring in DEMOLITION with Jake Gyllenhaal. She has also shot The Weinstein Company’s ABOUT RAY with Susan Sarandon and Elle Fanning, Gus Van Sant’s SEA OF TREEES with Matthew McConaughey, Colin Trevorrow’s THE BOOK OF HENRY and the psychological thriller SHUT IN. Her other recent films include Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu’s Academy Award winning film BIRDMAN with Michael Keaton, Noah Baumbach’s WHILE WE WERE YOUNG with Ben Stiller and Amanda Seyfried and two of the installments in the DIVERGENT franchise based on the popular best-selling novels. Watts is known for her Oscar nominated performances in Iñarritu’s 21 GRAMS with Sean Penn and in Juan Antonio Bayona’s THE IMPOSSIBLE, and her critical acclaimed performance in David Lynch’s MULHOLLAND DRIVE.

Ridley is repped by CAA and by attorney Shelby Weiser at Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern.
Naomi is repped by CAA and Untitled Entertainment, and by attorney Steve Warren of Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush and Kaller.

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SHUT IN

BIRDMAN or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

THE RING

MULHOLLAND DRIVE

THE IMPOSSIBLE

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