The narrative architect behind the BOURNE film series, Tony Gilroy, takes the helm in the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise that has earned almost $1 billion at the global box office: THE BOURNE LEGACY. The writer/director expands the BOURNE universe with an original story that introduces us to a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films. THE BOURNE LEGACY also stars series newcomers Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Oscar Isaac, while franchise veterans Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn reprise their roles.
Universal Pictures and WAMG invite you to enter for your chance to win passes to the advance screening of THE BOURNE LEGACY in St. Louis on August 7th at Ronnie’s at 7pm.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. FILL OUT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW. REAL FIRST NAME REQUIRED.
3. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: What American author wrote the Bourne novels?
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED. DUPLICATE TICKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
THE BOURNE LEGACY has been rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned – Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13) for violence and intense action sequences.
His Body. Stronger. His Mind. Sharper. His Legacy. Unknown. Universal Pictures presentsTHE BOURNE LEGACY, the next chapter in theBOURNE film series. Starring Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton. On August 10TH, THE LEGACY LIVES ON.
TOTAL RECALL is an action thriller about reality and memory, inspired anew by the famous short story “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick. Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he’s got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life – real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police – controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world – Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate. TOTAL RECALL will be in theaters August 3rd.
Columbia Pictures and and WAMG invite you to enter for your chance to win passes to the advance screening of TOTAL RECALL on August 2nd.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. FILL OUT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW. REAL FIRST NAME REQUIRED.
3. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: Imagine you wake up one morning, you go about your life and you inherently feel like a good guy… All of a sudden, everybody around you starts telling you that you’re a bad guy. You can’t REKALL anything. What do you do?
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED. DUPLICATE TICKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
This film has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for INTENSE SEQUENCES OF SCI-FI VIOLENCE AND ACTION, SOME SEXUAL CONTENT, BRIEF NUDITY, AND LANGUAGE
Columbia Pictures presents an Original Film production, a film by Len Wiseman, Total Recall. Starring Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, John Cho, and Bill Nighy. Directed by Len Wiseman. Produced by Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe. Screenplay by Kurt Wimmer and Mark Bomback. Screen Story by Ronald Shusett & Dan O’Bannon and Jon Povill and Kurt Wimmer. Inspired by the Short Story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick. Executive Producers are Ric Kidney and Len Wiseman. Director of Photography is Paul Cameron, ASC. Production Designer is Patrick Tatopoulos. Editor is Christian Wagner. Costume Designer is Sanja Milković Hays. Music by Harry Gregson-Williams. Visual Effects Supervisor is Peter Chiang.
In DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS, set during summer vacation, “Wimpy Kid” Greg Heffley, the hero of the phenomenally successful book series, hatches a plan to pretend he has a job at a ritzy country club – which fails to keep him away from the season’s dog days, including embarrassing mishaps at a public pool and a camping trip that goes horribly wrong. In addition to Zachary Gordon and Robert Capron, the film stars Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, and Steve Zahn. It is directed by David Bowers from a screenplay by Maya Forbes & Wallace Wolodarsky, based upon the book by Jeff Kinney. The producers are Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson.
20th Century Fox and WAMG invite you to enter for your chance to win passes to the advance screening of DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS in St. Louis on August 1st.
CAPTION CHALLENGE!!!! Can you write a caption for this L’il Cutie comic in 12 WORDS OR LESS???
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. FILL OUT YOUR NAME, E-MAIL ADDRESS and CAPTION BELOW. REAL FIRST NAME REQUIRED.
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED. DUPLICATE TICKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
The film is rated PG
More than 75 million Diary of a Wimpy Kid books are in print in 35 languages in more than 36 countries around the world. Published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS, Kinney’s work has been widely praised for its ability to turn reluctant readers on to books. Jeff Kinney was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in the world. The first movie based on the books, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, grossed more than $75 million worldwide in box office sales, and the second movie, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, was the #1 movie at the box office in its opening weekend in theaters. The book series won Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in 2010, 2011, and 2012, and Jeff Kinney won a Children’s Choice Book Award in 2012. Books in the series have won numerous awards voted on by students and teachers in schools around the globe.
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS is in theaters everywhere August 3, 2012.
Two of the stars of the upcoming motion picture DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS – the “Wimpy Kid” himself, Zachary Gordon, and Robert Capron, who portrays Rowley – will join author Jeff Kinney, who penned the phenomenally successful books upon which the film is based, and the baseball team the Trenton Thunder, to set the world record for the largest Camping Read-Along. The event will take place on July 27, 2012, at Mercer County Waterfront Park in Trenton, NJ at 10:30pm.
In addition to making camping and reading history, the WIMPY KID team will throw out the first pitch with baseball’s only “bat dogs” – Chase and Derby.
“We are thrilled to bring Hollywood to New Jersey, with the appearance of author Jeff Kinney and DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS stars Zachary Gordon and Robert Capron here on July 27,” stated Eric Lipsman, Senior Vice President, Trenton Thunder. “I’m sure our fans that have read the books and seen the first two movies will be very excited to meet them in person and participate in our post-game outfield camp-out/sleepover… as we attempt to set the record for the Largest Camp Read Along.”
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS is in theaters everywhere August 3, 2012. In the film, set during summer vacation, “Wimpy Kid” Greg Heffley, the hero of the phenomenally successful book series, hatches a plan to pretend he has a job at a ritzy country club – which fails to keep him away from the season’s dog days, including embarrassing mishaps at a public pool and a camping trip that goes horribly wrong. In addition to Zachary Gordon and Robert Capron, the film stars Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, and Steve Zahn. It is directed by David Bowers from a screenplay by Maya Forbes & Wallace Wolodarsky, based upon the book by Jeff Kinney. The producers are Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson.
More than 75 million Diary of a Wimpy Kid books are in print in 35 languages in more than 36 countries around the world. Published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS, Kinney’s work has been widely praised for its ability to turn reluctant readers on to books. Jeff Kinney was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in the world. The first movie based on the books, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, grossed more than $75 million worldwide in box office sales, and the second movie, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, was the #1 movie at the box office in its opening weekend in theaters. The book series won Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in 2010, 2011, and 2012, and Jeff Kinney won a Children’s Choice Book Award in 2012. Books in the series have won numerous awards voted on by students and teachers in schools around the globe. The Wimpy Kid Island, Wimpy Wonderland, on www.poptropica.com, remains one of the most visited on the site.
The Trenton Thunder are the New York Yankees Double-A Affiliate in Trenton, NJ. The team has attracted over 7 Million Fans to Mercer County Waterfront Park along the banks of the Delaware River over the past 18 years. Yankees stars such as Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Robinson Cano, and David Robertson are a few of the hundreds of current and former Major League players who have worn the Thunder uniform.
Piers Handling, CEO and Director of TIFF, and Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Film Festival, made the first announcement of films to premiere at the 37th Toronto International Film Festival. Films announced include titles in the Galas and Special Presentations programmes. The announced films include 17 Galas and 45 Special Presentations, including 38 world premieres.
Toronto audiences will be the first to see the world premieres of films from directors Andrew Adamson, Ben Affleck, David Ayer, Maiken Baird, Noah Baumbach, J.A. Bayona, Stuart Blumberg, Josh Boone, Laurent Cantet, Sergio Castellitto, Stephen Chbosky, Lu Chuan, Derek Cianfrance, Nenad Cicin-Sain, Costa-Gavras, Ziad Doueiri, Liz Garbus, Dustin Hoffman, Rian Johnson, Neil Jordan, Baltasar Kormákur, Shola Lynch, Deepa Mehta, Roger Michell, Nishikawa Miwa, Ruba Nadda, Mike Newell, François Ozon, Sally Potter, Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, Eran Riklis, David O. Russell, Gauri Shinde, Ben Timlett & Bill Jones & Jeff Simpson, Tom Tykwer & Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski, Margarethe von Trotta, Joss Whedon and Yaron Zilberman.
“We are thrilled to announce so many exciting and prestigious films today, with many more to follow,” said Handling. “This year’s Festival is looking particularly strong with bold, adventuresome work coming from established and emerging filmmakers.”
“This year we present our most diverse Gala programme to date with films from Japan, China, India, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Italy, USA and Canada,” said Bailey. “Toronto’s red carpet is a global one and we’re excited to welcome some of the world’s best filmmakers and greatest stars to Canada.”
The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2012.
GALAS
A Royal AffairNikolai Arcel, Denmark/Sweden/Czech Republic/Germany North American Premiere
A Royal Affair is a gripping tale of brave idealists who risk everything in their pursuit of freedom for the people. Above all, it is the story of a passionate and forbidden romance that changed an entire nation. Starring Mads Mikkelsen and Alicia Vikander.
ArgoBen Affleck, USA World Premiere
When militants storm the U.S. embassy in 1979 Tehran, six Americans manage to slip away. Knowing it’s only a matter of time before they are found, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist comes up with a plan to get them out of the country: a plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies. Starring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman and Kyle Chandler.
The Company You Keep Robert Redford, USA North American Premiere
Jim Grant (Robert Redford), a civil rights lawyer and single father, must go on the run when a brash young reporter (Shia LaBeouf) exposes his true identity as a former 1970s radical fugitive wanted for murder. Sparking a nationwide manhunt, Grant sets off on a cross-country journey to clear his name. Also starring Susan Sarandon, Terrence Howard, Anna Kendrick, Stanley Tucci, Chris Cooper and Nick Nolte.
Dangerous Liaisons Hur Jin-ho, China North American Premiere
As war looms in Shanghai, glamorous libertine Mo Jietu (Cecilia Cheung) runs into playboy Xie Yifan (Dong-gun Jang), an ex-boyfriend who’s never stopped loving her. She persuades him to play a treacherous game: Xie must seduce the innocent and naïve Du Fenyu (Zhang Ziyi) and then dump her. But the game becomes increasingly dangerous as Xie falls in love with Du, leading them all to tragic and shocking consequences.
English Vinglish Gauri Shinde, India World Premiere
Money, fame and a knowledge of English. In India, these 3 factors play a huge role in how society judges an individual. English Vinglish is the story of Shashi, a woman who does not know English and in turn is made to feel insecure by her family and society at large. The film is the lighthearted yet touching and transformational journey of Shashi. Circumstances make her determined to overcome this insecurity, master the language, teach the world a lesson on the way to becoming a self assured and confident woman. This film marks the comeback of India’s biggest female star, Sridevi.
Free Angela & All Political Prisoners Shola Lynch, USA/France World Premiere
Legendary radical activist Angela Davis’ words and actions made her a revolutionary icon in the 1960s. The documentary Free Angela & All Political Prisoners tells the dramatic story of how a young philosophy professor’s social justice activism implicates her in the botched kidnapping attempt of a judge that ends in bloody shootout. Newsweek asks: what would prompt Angela Davis, “the daughter of the black bourgeoisie, to take a desperate turn to terrorism?”
Great Expectations Mike Newell, United Kingdom World Premiere
Based on the Charles Dickens classic. Orphan Pip rises from humble beginnings thanks to a mysterious benefactor. Moving through London’s class-ridden world as a gentleman, Pip uses his new status to pursue Estella, a beautiful, heartless heiress he’s always loved. The shocking truth behind his fortune will have devastating consequences for everything he holds dear. Starring Holliday Grainger, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jeremy Irvine.
Hyde Park on Hudson Roger Michell, United Kingdom World Premiere
In June 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Academy Award ®nominee Bill Murray) and his wife Eleanor (Olivia Williams) host the King and Queen of England (Samuel West and Olivia Colman) for a weekend at the Roosevelt home at Hyde Park on Hudson in upstate New York. With Britain facing imminent war with Germany, the Royals are desperately looking to FDR for support. But international affairs must be juggled with the complexities of FDR’s domestic establishment. Seen through the eyes of Daisy (Academy Award nominee Laura Linney), Franklin’s neighbour and intimate, the weekend will produce not only a special relationship between two great nations, but also a deeper understanding of the mysteries of love and friendship.
Inescapable Ruba Nadda, Canada World Premiere
One afternoon, on a typical day at work, Adib is confronted with devastating news: His eldest daughter, Muna, has gone missing in Damascus. Now Adib, who has not been back in over 30 years, must return to Syria and deal with his secret past in order to find her. Inescapable is a thriller about a father’s desperate search for his daughter and the chaos of the Middle East he left behind. Starring Alexander Siddig, Marisa Tomei and Joshua Jackson.
Jayne Mansfield’s Car Billy Bob Thornton, USA/Russia North American Premiere
Jayne Mansfield’s Car is a funny, poignant and searching look at three generations of fathers and sons in the South during the tumultuous ‘60s. It follows the family’s heartfelt — and sometimes hilarious — struggles with long-held resentments, secrets, the memories of war, and how life, death and loss shaped them all. Starring Robert Duvall, Kevin Bacon, Billy Bob Thornton and John Hurt.
Opening night film Looper Rian Johnson, USA World Premiere
In the futuristic action thriller Looper, time travel will be invented – but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past, where a “looper” – a hired gun, like Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) – is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good… until the day the mob decides to “close the loop,” sending back Joe’s future self (Bruce Willis) for assassination. Also starring Emily Blunt, Paul Dano and Jeff Daniels.
Love, Marilyn Liz Garbus, USA World Premiere
Nearly 50 years after her death, two boxes of Marilyn Monroe’s private writings and musings were discovered in the home of her acting coach. These papers, brought to life in this innovative documentary film by some of our contemporary icons and stars, give us a new understanding of Monroe — revealing her carefully guarded inner life. Featuring Elizabeth Banks, Lindsay Lohan, Evan Rachel Wood, Ben Foster, Uma Thurman, Paul Giamatti, Viola Davis, Jeremy Piven, Ellen Burstyn, Adrien Brody, Marisa Tomei and Glenn Close.
Midnight’s Children Deepa Mehta, Canada/ United Kingdom World Premiere
“Born in the hour of India’s freedom. Handcuffed to history.” Midnight’s Children is an epic film from Academy Award-nominated director Deepa Mehta, based on the Booker Prize-winning novel by Salman Rushdie. At the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, as India proclaims independence from Great Britain, two newborn babies are switched by a nurse in a Bombay hospital. Saleem Sinai, the illegitimate son of a poor Hindu woman, and Shiva, the offspring of wealthy Muslims, are fated to live the destiny meant for each other. Their lives become mysteriously intertwined and are inextricably linked to India’s whirlwind journey of triumphs and disasters. Starring Satya Bhabha, Shahana Goswami, Rajat Kapoor, Seema Biswas, Shriya Saran, Siddharth, Ronit Roy, Rahul Bose, Kulbushan Kharbanda, Soha Ali Khan, Anita Majumdar, Zaib Shaikh and Darsheel Safary.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist Mira Nair, USA North American Premiere
Based on the best-selling novel of the same title, that was translated into 25 languages, The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a riveting international political thriller that follows the story of a young Pakistani man chasing corporate success on Wall Street, who ultimately finds himself embroiled in a conflict between his American dream, a hostage crisis and the enduring call of his family’s homeland. Starring Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, Kiefer Sutherland and Liev Schreiber.
Silver Linings Playbook David O. Russell, USA World Premiere
An intense, loving, emotional and funny family story from The Fighter director, David O. Russell. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence find themselves partners in a secret arrangement to rebuild their broken lives. Robert De Niro yearns to get closer to his son (Cooper), as he tries to keep the family afloat with his compulsive bookmaking. Jacki Weaver and Chris Tucker co-star.
Thermae Romae Hideki Takeuchi, Japan North American Premiere
Ancient Roman architect Lucius (Hiroshi Abe) is too serious. His inability to keep up with the fast-moving times costs him his job. When a friend takes the dejected Lucius to the public bathhouse to cheer him up, Lucius accidentally slips through time and resurfaces in a modern-day public bath in Japan. There, he meets aspiring young manga artist Mami (Aya Ueto), along with others of the “flat-faced clan.” Shocked by the many inventive aspects of Japan’s bathing culture, Lucius returns to ancient Rome and garners tremendous attention when he implements these novel ideas back in Rome. As he time-slips back and forth between ancient Rome and modernday Japan, Lucius’ reputation as the ingenious, new bath architect begins to grow.
Twice Born Sergio Castellitto, Italy/Spain/Croatia World Premiere
Gemma visits Sarajevo with her son, Pietro. Sixteen years ago they escaped the war-torn city while the boy’s father remained behind and later died. As she tries to repair her relationship with Pietro, a revelation forces Gemma to face loss, the cost of war and the redemptive power of love. Starring Penelope Cruz and Emile Hirsch.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
A Few Hours of Spring Stéphane Brizé, France North American Premiere
Forty-eight-year-old Alain Evrard is obliged to return home to live with his mother. This situation causes all the violence of their past relationship to rise to the surface. Alain then discovers that his mother has a fatal illness. In the last months of her life, will they finally be capable of taking a step toward each other?
Anna Karenina Joe Wright, United Kingdom International Premiere
The third collaboration of Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley with acclaimed director Joe Wright, following the award-winning box office successes Pride & Prejudice and Atonement, is a bold, theatrical new vision of the epic love story, adapted from Leo Tolstoy’s timeless novel by Academy Award winner Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love). The story powerfully explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart. As Anna (Knightley) questions her happiness and marriage, change comes to surround her. Also starring Jude Law and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
At Any Price Ramin Bahrani, United Kingdom/USA North American Premiere
Set in the competitive world of modern agriculture, ambitious Henry Whipple (Dennis Quaid) wants his rebellious son Dean (Zac Efron) to help expand his family’s farming empire. However, Dean has his sights set on becoming a professional race car driver. When a highstakes investigation into their business is exposed, father and son are pushed into an unexpected situation that threatens the family’s entire livelihood.
The Attack Ziad Doueiri, France World Premiere
In the aftermath of a suicide bombing, an Arab surgeon living in Tel Aviv discovers a dark secret about his wife.
Byzantium Neil Jordan, United Kingdom World Premiere
Two mysterious women seek refuge in a run-down coastal resort. Clara meets lonely Noel, who provides shelter in his deserted guesthouse, Byzantium. Schoolgirl Eleanor befriends Frank and tells him their lethal secret. They were born 200 years ago and survive on human blood. As knowledge of their secret spreads, their past catches up on them with deathly consequence. Starring Gemma Arterton, Sam Riley and Saoirse Ronan.
Capital Costa-Gavras, France World Premiere
We are slaves to the Capital. We tremble when it trembles. We celebrate when it grows and triumphs. Who will set us free? Should we liberate ourselves? We should at the very least know those who serve it and how. This is the story of the unstoppable ascent of Marc Tourneuil, an expendable servant of the Capital who became its undisputed master. Starring Gad Elmaleh and Gabriel Byrne.
Caught in the Web Chen Kaige, Japan/China International Premiere
The story of three women whose worlds collide, Caught in the Web is a social commentary about the ‘sound bite’ society we are becoming, where perception becomes reality and judgments based on limited facts quickly spread, without regard for the truth or the damage they could cause. Starring Mark Chao, Chen Hong and Gao Yuanyuan.
Cloud Atlas Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, USA World Premiere
The powerful, inspiring epic Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution. Starring Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving, Halle Berry, Susan Sarandon, Jim Broadbent and Hugh Grant.
The Deep (Djúpið) Baltasar Kormákur, Iceland/Norway World Premiere
On a cold night a few miles off the coast of Iceland in March 1984, a fishing boat sank with all of its men. Miraculously surviving after five hours in the ocean, the exhausted young hulk washes ashore — only to find himself on a deadly lava field. Starring Ólafur Darri Ólafsson.
Dormant Beauty Marco Bellocchio, Italy/France International Premiere
Italy is cleaved by Eluana Englaro’s drama, who will die after 17 years spent in a vegetative state. This national tragedy will touch and transform various characters, each of them with their own ideology and beliefs. A senator is struggling with his vote on a law he profoundly disagrees with, torn between his conscience and his loyalty towards the leaders of his party. His daughter Maria, a pro-life activist, is protesting in front of the clinic where Eluana is hospitalized. Roberto and his brother are there in opposition, demonstrating for stronger secular values — yet it is with Roberto, the “enemy” that Maria falls in love. These and other converging stories are connected by a unique emotional thread: a reflection on the meaning of life. Starring Isabelle Huppert, Toni Servillo, Alba Rohrwacher, Michele Riondino, Maya Sansa, Pier Giorgio Bellocchio, Brenno Placido, Fabrizio Falco, Gian Marco Tognazzi, Roberto Herlitzka.
Dreams for Sale Nishikawa Miwa, Japan World Premiere
After losing their restaurant in a fire, a husband and wife come up with a strange plan to rebuild their shattered finances: marrying the husband off to a series of lonely women and defrauding them. Starring Matsu Takako, Abe Sadavo and Tanaka Lena.
End Of Watch David Ayer, USA World Premiere
Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña star as young Los Angeles police officers Taylor and Zavala as they patrol south central’s meanest streets, creating a riveting portrait of the city’s most dangerous corners and the cops who risk their lives there every day.
Everybody Has A Plan Ana Piterbarg, Argentina International Premiere
Everybody Has A Plan tells the story of Agustín (Viggo Mortensen), a man desperate to abandon what he has gradually come to feel is an unfulfilling existence after years of living in Buenos Aires. Following the death of his identical twin brother Pedro, Agustín sets out to begin his life anew by assuming Pedro’s identity and returning to the mysterious Tigre Delta region where the brothers had spent their childhood. Soon after his homecoming, however, Agustín finds himself unwittingly embroiled in the deadly criminal underworld that his brother had been part of.
Foxfire Laurent Cantet, France/Canada World Premiere
The latest film from Palme d’Or winner Laurent Cantet (Entre les murs) is a vivid adaptation of the celebrated Joyce Carol Oates novel about a small-town girl gang in the 1950s. Starring Ali Liebert and Tamara Hope.
Frances Ha Noah Baumbach, USA World Premiere
An aspiring dancer (co-writer Greta Gerwig) moves to New York City and becomes caught up in a whirlwind of flighty fair-weather friends, diminishing fortunes and career setbacks, in the new film from director Noah Baumbach (Margot at the Wedding, Greenberg).
Ginger and Rosa Sally Potter, United Kingdom World Premiere
London, 1962: Two teenage girls, Ginger and Rosa, are inseparable. They play truant together, discuss religion, politics and hairstyles, and dream of lives bigger than their mothers’ frustrated domesticity. But as the Cold War meets the sexual revolution, the lifelong friendship of the two girls is threatened. Starring Elle Fanning, Alice Englert, Christina Hendricks, Annette Bening and Alessandro Nivola.
Hannah Arendt Margarethe von Trotta, Germany World Premiere
Hannah Arendt is a portrait of the genius that shook the world with her discovery of “the banality of evil.” After she attends the Nazi Adolf Eichmann’s trial in Jerusalem, Arendt dares to write about the Holocaust in terms no one has ever heard before. Her work instantly provokes a furious scandal, and Arendt stands strong as she is attacked by friends and foes alike. But as the German-Jewish émigré also struggles to suppress her own painful associations with the past, the film exposes her beguiling blend of arrogance and vulnerability — revealing a soul defined and derailed by exile. Starring Janet McTeer and Barbara Sukowa.
The Hunt Thomas Vinterberg, Denmark North American Premiere
The Hunt is a disturbing depiction of how a lie becomes the truth when gossip, doubt and malice are allowed to flourish and ignite a witch-hunt that soon threatens to destroy an innocent man’s life. Following a tough divorce, 40-year-old Lucas has a new girlfriend, a new job and is in the process of re-establishing his relationship with his teenage son, Marcus… but things go awry with just a story — a random lie. And as the snow falls and the Christmas lights are lit, the lie spreads like a virus. The shock and mistrust get out of hand, and the small community suddenly finds itself in a collective state of hysteria, while Lucas fights a lonely fight for his life and dignity.Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen and Annika Wedderkopp.
The Iceman Ariel Vromen, USA North American Premiere
The Iceman is the true story of Richard Kuklinski: loving husband, devoted father, ruthless killer. He is believed to have killed more than 250 people between 1954 and 1985. Starring Winona Ryder, Chris Evans, David Schwimmer, Michael Shannon and Ray Liotta.
Imogene Robert Pulcini, Shari Springer Berman, USA World Premiere
Imogene is the story of a moderately successful New York playwright who stages a fake suicide attempt in order to win back her exboyfriend — only to end up being forced into the custody of her gambling-addicted mother. Starring Annette Bening, Matt Dillon, Darren Criss and Kristen Wiig.
The Impossible J.A. Bayona, Spain/USA World Premiere
Based on a true story, The Impossible is the unforgettable account of a family caught in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time. True-life terror is tempered by the unexpected displays of compassion and simple kindness this family encounters during the darkest hours of their lives. Starring Naomi Watts, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast and Ewan McGregor.
In the House François Ozon, France World Premiere
A sixteen-year-old boy insinuates himself into the house of a fellow student from his literature class and writes about it in essays for his French teacher. Faced with this gifted and unusual pupil, the teacher rediscovers his enthusiasm for his work, but the boy’s intrusion will unleash a series of uncontrollable events. Starring Kristin Scott Thomas.
Kon-Tiki Joachim Roenning and Espen Sandberg, United Kingdom/Norway/Denmark International Premiere
Thor Heyerdahl is a restless spirit. His radical idea kick-starts an impossible mission. Along with five loyal crew, Thor follows an ancient path 4,300 miles across the Pacific on the fragile Kon-Tiki raft. Attacked by tidal waves, sharks and every danger the Ocean can muster, it’s six men battling nature as Kon-Tiki strives to reach land. Having sacrificed everything, even his marriage, Thor must succeed. A true story.
The Last Supper Lu Chuan, China World Premiere
From internationally acclaimed director Lu Chuan, The Last Supper tells an epic story of war, of ruthless ambition, of mighty dreams fulfilled… and of betrayals – betrayals of friendship, betrayals of noble ideals, betrayals of oneself.
A Late Quartet Yaron Zilberman, USA World Premiere
When the beloved cellist of a world-renowned string quartet is diagnosed with a life threatening illness, the group’s future suddenly hangs in the balance as suppressed emotions, competing egos and uncontrollable passions threaten to derail years of friendship and collaboration. As they are about to play their 25th anniversary concert — quite possibly their last — only their intimate bond and the power of music can preserve their legacy. Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mark Ivanir, Imogen Poots, Christopher Walken and Catherine Keener.
A Liar’s Autobiography — The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman Ben Timlett, Bill Jones, Jeff Simpson, United Kingdom World Premiere
Graham Chapman, probably best remembered as “the dead one from Monty Python,” writes and stars in the animated movie of his own life story, A Liar’s Autobiography. He was born, he went to Cambridge and met John Cleese, he smoked a pipe, he became a doctor, he became a Python, he decided he was gay (well, 70/30, according to a survey he did on himself), he got drunk a lot, he stopped being drunk, he made some films, he had some sex (actually, a lot), and moved to Los Angeles. Finally, he was whisked up into space by aliens (although that might have been in a film). Starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Carol Cleveland and Philip Bulcock.
Lore Cate Shortland, Australia/United Kingdom/Germany North American Premiere
After her Nazi parents are imprisoned, Lore leads her younger siblings across a war-torn Germany in 1945. Amidst the chaos, she encounters mysterious Jewish refugee Thomas, who shatters her fragile reality with hatred and desire. To live, she must trust someone she was taught to hate and face the darkness within herself. Starring Saskia Rosendahl and Kai Malina.
Mr. Pip Andrew Adamson, New Zealand World Premiere
In 1991, a war over a copper mine in the South Pacific tore the island of Bougainville apart. The reclusive “Popeye” (Hugh Laurie) offers the children in fourteen-year-old Matilda’s tiny village an escape with Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. But on an island at war, fiction can have dangerous consequences. Also starring Xzannjah Matsi, Healesville Joel, Eka Darville and Kerry Fox.
Much Ado About Nothing Joss Whedon, USA World Premiere
Shakespeare’s classic comedy is given a contemporary spin in Joss Whedon’s film Much Ado About Nothing. Shot in just 12 days (and using the original text), the story of sparring lovers Beatrice (Amy Acker) and Benedick (Alexis Denisof) offers a dark, sexy and occasionally absurd view of the intricate game that is love. Also starring Clark Gregg, Jillian Morgese, Nathan Fillion, Spencer Treat Clark and Riki Lindhome.
No Pablo Larraín, Chile/USA North American Premiere
In 1988, Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, due to international pressure, is forced to call a plebiscite on his presidency. The country will vote “Yes” or “No” to Pinochet extending his rule for another eight years. Opposition leaders for the NO persuade a brash, young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Gael García Bernal), to spearhead their campaign. Against all odds, with scant resources and under the scrutiny of the despot’s minions, Saavedra and his team devise an audacious plan to win the election and set Chile free.
Outrage Beyond Takeshi Kitano, Japan North American Premiere
As the police launch a full-scale crackdown on organized crime, it ignites a national yakuza struggle between the Sanno of the East and Hanabishi of the West. What started as an internal strife in Outrage has now become a nationwide war in Outrage Beyond.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky, USA World Premiere
Based on the best-selling novel by Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a modern classic that captures the dizzying highs and crushing lows of growing up. The film is a moving tale of love, loss, fear, hope and the unforgettable friends who help us through life. Starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Nina Dobrev, Melanie Lynskey, Paul Rudd and Dylan McDermott.
The Place Beyond the Pines Derek Cianfrance, USA World Premiere
Luke (Ryan Gosling) is a professional motorcycle rider who turns to bank robberies to support his newborn son. But when he crosses paths with a rookie police officer (Bradley Cooper), their violent confrontation spirals into a tense generational feud. The Place Beyond the Pines is a rich dramatic thriller, tracing the intersecting lives of fathers and sons, cops and robbers, heroes and villains. Also starring Rose Byrne, Ray Liotta and Eva Mendes.
Quartet Dustin Hoffman, United Kingdom World Premiere
The directorial debut of Dustin Hoffman, Quartet is a high-drama comedy about temperamental divas and old grudges, passion and pride, romance and Rigoletto, starring Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins as four retired opera singers.
Reality Matteo Garrone, Italy/France North American Premiere
Luciano is a Neapolitan fishmonger who supplements his modest income by pulling off little scams with his wife Maria. A likeable, entertaining guy, Luciano never misses an opportunity to perform for his customers and countless relatives. One day, his family urges him to try out for the television show Big Brother. As he chases this dream, his perception of reality begins to change. Starring Aniello Arena, Loredana Simioli, Nando Paone, Nello Iorio and Nunzia Schiano.
Rust and Bone Jacques Audiard, France/Belgium North American Premiere
It all begins in the North of France. Ali suddenly finds himself with a five-year-old child on his hands. Sam is his son, but he hardly knows him. Homeless, penniless and friendless, Ali takes refuge with his sister in Antibes where things improve immediately. She puts them up in her garage and takes the child under her wing. Ali first runs into Stephanie during a night club brawl. He is poor, she is beautiful and self-assured. She trains killer whales at Marineland. When a performance ends in tragedy, a call in the night again brings them together. Starring Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts.
The Sapphires Wayne Blair, Australia North American Premiere
They’re sexy, black, young, talented, and have never set foot outside of Australia. Until, in the chaos of 1968, they’re plucked from the obscurity of a remote Aboriginal mission, branded as the answer to The Supremes — grasping the chance of a life time — and shipped off to Vietnam to entertain the troops. Starring Chris O’Dowd, Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens and Miranda Tapsell.
The Sessions Ben Lewin, USA International Premiere
Based on the poignantly optimistic autobiographical writings of California-based journalist and poet Mark O’Brien, The Sessions tells the story of a man confined to an iron lung, who at age 38 is determined to lose his virginity. With the help of his therapists and the guidance of his priest, he sets out to make his dream a reality. Starring John Hawkes, Helen Hunt and William H. Macy.
Tai Chi 0 Stephen Fung, China North American Premiere
Young genius Yang Luchan travels to Chen Village to learn the forbidden secrets of martial arts, but quickly learns that the village is menaced by a formidable battalion of Steampunk soldiers. The villagers realize that in order to save their home, they must trust this strange outsider with their knowledge of Tai Chi.
Thanks for Sharing Stuart Blumberg, USA World Premiere
Thanks for Sharing is a dramatic comedy starring Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Gad and Joely Richardson. A group of unlikely friends are brought together through shared determination to recover from sex addictions, in order to forge meaningful relationships for the first time in their lives.
The Time Being Nenad Cicin-Sain, USA World Premiere
The Time Being deals with the mysteries discovered in the search for artistic and personal integrity. When Daniel (Wes Bentley) encounters an eccentric would-be benefactor (Academy Award-nominee Frank Langella), Daniel is forced to wrestle with the balance between personal responsibility and his ambitions as an artist.
To The Wonder Terrence Malick, USA North American Premiere
After visiting Mont Saint-Michel — once known in France as the Wonder — at the height of their love, Marina (Olga Kurylenko) and Neil (Ben Affleck) come to Oklahoma, where problems soon arise. Marina makes the acquaintance of a priest and fellow exile (Javier Bardem), who is struggling with his vocation, while Neil renews his ties with a childhood friend, Jane (Rachel McAdams). An exploration of love in its many forms.
Venus & Serena Maiken Baird, USA World Premiere
Venus & Serena takes an honest and unfiltered look into the remarkable lives of sisters and tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams. Through the prism of one year in their lives, the film tells the untold story of how these two great stars came to be and how they struggle to stay on top.
Writers Josh Boone, USA World Premiere
An acclaimed writer, his ex-wife and their teenaged children come to terms with the complexities of love in all its forms over the course of one tumultuous year in Writers, the clever, funny, and touching tale of a fractured family trying to rediscover one another. Starring Liana Liberato, Jennifer Connelly, Greg Kinnear, Lily Collins and Kristen Bell.
Zaytoun Eran Riklis, United Kingdom/Israel World Premiere
Zaytoun is the story of the unlikely alliance between a twelve-year-old Palestinian refugee and an Israeli fighter pilot shot down over Beirut in 1982. Their initial distrust develops into friendship as they make their way across war-torn Lebanon on a journey to a place they both call home. Starring Stephen Dorff.
Purchase Festival ticket packages online 24 hours a day at tiff.net/festival, by phone Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET at 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433, or visit the box office in person from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET at TIFF Bell Lightbox. The 37th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 6 to 16, 2012.
The Toronto International Film Festival (@TIFF_NET) opens September 6 with the world premiere Gala Presentation of LOOPER – filmmaker Rian Johnson’s time-bending and mind-bending action thriller.
“Rian Johnson is a film auteur known for combining different genres to give his projects an original spin,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “We’re thrilled to have Looper open the Festival.”
“I saw Rian’s debut feature Brick at the Sundance festival and was impressed by his ability to engage both the mind and the heart,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director, Toronto International Film Festival. “We were fortunate enough to premiere his follow-up film The Brothers Bloom. Now, with Looper, Rian has taken his filmmaking to a new level, and we can’t wait to present it to the Toronto audience in the most prestigious platform we can offer. This is a new kind of Opening Night: an exciting, thinking-person’s action film from a director who really understands genre.”
In TriStar Pictures, FilmDistrict, and Endgame Entertainment’s Looper, time travel will be invented – but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past, where a “looper” – a hired gun, like Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) – is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good… until the day the mob decides to “close the loop,” sending back Joe’s future self (Bruce Willis) for assassination.
The film is written and directed by Rian Johnson and also stars Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Noah Segan, Piper Perabo, and Jeff Daniels. Ram Bergman and James D. Stern produce. The executive producers are Douglas E. Hansen, Julie Goldstein, Peter Schlessel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Dan Mintz.
The film will be distributed in Canada by Alliance Films.
Check out these brand new photos from Screen Gems’ action horror RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION. With this year’s release of girl power movies such as BRAVE and THE HUNGER GAMES, I’m ready for more female fists-of-steel ala Milla Jovovich.
In the film,the Umbrella Corporation’s deadly T-virus continues to ravage the Earth, transforming the global population into legions of the flesh eating Undead. The human race’s last and only hope, ALICE (Milla Jovovich), awakens in the heart of Umbrella’s most clandestine operations facility and unveils more of her mysterious past as she delves further into the complex. Without a safe haven, Alice continues to hunt those responsible for the outbreak; a chase that takes her from Tokyo to New York, Washington, D.C. and Moscow, culminating in a mind-blowing revelation that will force her to rethink everything that she once thought to be true. Aided by newfound allies and familiar friends, Alice must fight to survive long enough to escape a hostile world on the brink of oblivion. The countdown has begun.
RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION is the fifth installment of the wildly successful film franchise that has grossed nearly $700 million worldwide to date. Screen Gems will release RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION, in state-of-the art 3D, in the United States on September 14, 2012. Sony Pictures Releasing International will handle distribution in most international territories. Metropolitan Film Export will release in France and Constantin Film will release in Germany.
Screen Gems, Constantin Film International GmbH, and Davis Films/Impact Pictures Inc. (RE5) Present RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION, written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and also produced by Anderson and his Impact Pictures producing partner Jeremy Bolt, together with Robert Kulzer of Constantin Film, Don Carmody, and Davis Films’ Samuel Hadida Constantin Film’s Martin Moszkowicz and Davis Films’ Victor Hadida are executive producing. The film is a Canada-Germany Co-Production.
The film stars Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Kevin Durand, Sienna Guillory, Shawn Roberts, Aryana Engineer, Colin Salmon, Johann Urb, with Boris Kodjoe and Li Bingbing.
Evolution Independent, Lagniappe and Paradox Entertainment announce today that principal photography has begun on the new dramatic thriller AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS, which was written and is being directed by David Lowery (“Pioneer”) and stars Academy Award-nominees Rooney Mara (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) and Casey Affleck (“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”), and multiple award-winner Ben Foster (“3:10 To Yuma”). The film tells the story of Bob Muldoon (Affleck) and Ruth Guthrie (Mara), two young outlaws who are brought down by the law in the hills of Texas.
The financing of the picture was split three ways between Evolution Independent, Paradox Entertainment and Lagniappe, and was executive produced by Mark Burg (“Saw”) and Mike Menchel for Evolution Independent, Daniel Wagner (“Broken City”) and Fredrik Malmberg (“Let Me In”) for Paradox, and Logan Levy (“A Case of You”) and Jesse Kennedy (“Brooklyn’s Finest”) for Lagniappe.
The film began shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana on July 9th and is produced by James Johnston (“St. Nick”) and Toby Halbrook (“Pioneer”) for Sailor Bear; Jay Van Hoy (“Beginners”) and Lars Knudsen (“Beginners”) for Parts & Labor; Amy Kaufman (“Sin Nombre”) for Primary Productions and Cassian Elwes (“The Words”) for Evolution Independent.
Nate Parker (“Red Tails”) and Keith Carradine (“Cowboys and Aliens”) round out the cast.
Evolution is a full service management and production company. The Twisted Pictures (“Saw”) and Twisted Television (“Anger Management”) brand is now accompanied by Evolution Independent. This division was recently formed by Cassian Elwes and the partnership with Mark Burg and Mike Menchel.
“This is exactly the plan for Evolution Independent; partnerships with other strategic financiers and identifying material and talent for us to self-finance. SAINTS is the first of a few financed films to come over the next 6 months,” said Menchel.
Lagniappe, formed by Levy and Kennedy in January of 2012 to finance high quality independent films, is currently financing a number of projects using equity debt or mezzanine financing, depending on what is appropriate for the project.
“We just formed the company in January but this is already our second film and we currently have a number of films in consideration,” said Kennedy. “We’re excited for the future of Lagniappe and the strong relationships we’re developing with Paradox and Evolution.”
Lagniappe has recently wrapped principal photography on its first film, A CASE OF YOU, with Justin Long, Evan Rachel Wood, Brendan Fraser and Sienna Miller. The film was completely financed by Lagniappe, and a domestic distributor is yet to be set.
Originally from Sweden, Paradox Entertainment manages and develops its rights library by generating revenue from all forms of entertainment, including motion picture, television, gaming, publishing and toy industries. Their library consists of such well-known brands as Conan the Barbarian, Kull of Atlantis, Solomon Kane, Mutant Chronicles, and the works of Robert E. Howard. Paradox Entertainment is also expanding and intensifying their co-financing efforts with the Simon West action thriller THUNDER RUN in pre-production, as well as their soon to be released FIRE WITH FIRE to be distributed by Lionsgate.
All international territories for AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS are being handled by The Weinstein Company.
“This is a very unique and engaging story, and we are very excited to work with such a talented cast and group of filmmakers,” said David Glasser, COO of The Weinstein Company. “We are looking forward to making AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS an international success.”
Lowery is an award-wining filmmaker from Texas. He was accepted to the Sundance Screenwriters Lab for AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS. His debut feature, ST NICK, premiered at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival. His follow-up directorial effort, the short film PIONEER, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2011 and won the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW the following March.
Oscar-winning screenwriter Frank Pierson died today in Los Angeles of natural causes following a short illness. He was 87.
A three-time Academy Award® nominee, Pierson won an Oscar for his original screenplay of “Dog Day Afternoon.” He received nominations for “Cat Ballou” and “Cool Hand Luke.” Pierson’s writing credits also include “Presumed Innocent” and “A Star Is Born,” which he also directed.
Pierson was currently working as Writer and Consulting Producer on the Emmy Award®-winning drama “Mad Men” and had served the same duties on numerous episodes of “The Good Wife.”
Pierson was president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 2001-2005 and had served as Governor of the Writers Branch for 17 years.
Pierson is survived by his wife Helene, his children Michael and Eve and five grandchildren.
There will be a private funeral for the family this week. A public memorial will be planned in the near future.
The family requests contributions are made to STAND UP 2 CANCER.
Statement from Phil Robinson, Academy Governor (Writers Branch)
Young rock ‘n rollers always look to the old bluesmen as models of how to keep their art strong and rebellious into older years. For screenwriters, Frank has been our old blues master for a long time. From great, great movies like “Cat Ballou”, “Cool Hand Luke”, and “Dog Day Afternoon”, to his joining the writing staffs of “The Good Wife” and “Mad Men” well past his 80th birthday, he’s always shown us – better than anyone else – how to do it with class, grace, humor, strength, brilliance, generosity, and a joyful tenacity.
He was both a great and a good man, I miss him already, and I feel very, very lucky to have known him.
Statement from Susan B. Landau
I am deeply saddened to announce the sudden passing of Frank Pierson who was an iconic, titanic figure in the Hollywood community. The Oscar-winning writer was a celebrated director, the former President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Writers Guild, a dedicated member of the Directors Guild and the former Artistic Director of AFI. He was fiercely dedicated to his wife and children, his friends, his politics, to the Hollywood community, and to young filmmakers all over the world with whom he was in constant touch. He was thrilled be part of the “Mad Men” community at the time of his passing.
From Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson comes the latest HOBBIT Production video.
I know that not everybody gets to Comic Con, so I thought I’d bring a little bit of Comic Con to you! Here’s a bit of what I saw in San Diego, and what those in Hall H got to see of The Hobbit! This is THE HOBBIT Production Diary #8, covering Comic Con and the final days of principal photography on the film.
Part one of the film will have its world premiere November 28th in New Zealand. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released beginning December 14, 2012 while the second film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, is slated for release the following year, beginning December 13, 2013.
Under Jackson’s direction, both movies are being shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Filming is taking place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.
Among the creative behind-the-scenes team returning to Jackson’s crew are director of photography Andrew Lesnie, production designer Dan Hennah, conceptual designers Alan Lee and John Howe, composer Howard Shore and make-up and hair designer Peter King. The costumes are designed by Ann Maskrey and Richard Taylor. The score is being composed by Howard Shore.
Taylor is also overseeing the design and production of weaponry, armour and prosthetics which are once again being made by the award winning Weta Workshop. Weta Digital take on the visual effects for both films, led by the film’s visual effects supervisor, Joe Letteri. Post production will take place at Park Road Post Production in Wellington.
From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of two films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit. The second film will be The Hobbit: There and Back Again. Both films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins. Also reprising their roles from “The Lord of the Rings” movies are: Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Ian Holm as the elder Bilbo; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; Orlando Bloom as Legolas; and Andy Serkis as Gollum. The ensemble cast also includes (in alphabetical order) Richard Armitage, John Bell, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Barry Humphries, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Evangeline Lilly, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, Mike Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott, Jeffrey Thomas, and Aidan Turner.
The screenplays for both The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Againare by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro. Jackson is also producing the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again are productions of New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing, being handled by MGM.
