Tag: Jessica Biel

PLAYING FOR KEEPS – The Review

Had to believe that only six years ago the graphic novel film adaptation 300 burst on to movie screens featuring ground-breaking CGI effects and a bravado charismatic performance by a generally unknown actor as the fearless King Leonidas: Gerard Butler. Aside from a great vocal performance in the terrific animated feature HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, Hollywood has not known what to do with this handsome Scott. There’s been a few thrillers like LAW ABIDING CITIZEN, but generally he’s been consigned to “rom-com” Hell, sometimes paired with other denizens of that genre such as Katherine Heigl and Jennifer Aniston. Just a few weeks after the family flick CHASING MAVERICKS, Butler’s back in that pit once more with PLAYING FOR KEEPS. Hmm, this one’s got an Oscar-winning actress in the mix. Maybe this will be the one to show off his acting chops rather than just his scruffy good looks.

Butler plays George, a Scottish soccer superstar well past his prime. After squandering most of his sports earnings he moves to a rental guest house in Virginia. There he can re-connect with the ten-year old son Lewis (Noah Lomax) from his ex-wife Stacie (Jessica Biel), while he tries to become a TV sports analyst. George takes his son to soccer practice and is dismayed by his clueless, distracted coach. The former star steps in to give the team a few pointers. He’s soon lured by a “soccer dad”, the very rich Carl (Dennis Quaid), to take over as coach. Now George must end his son’s team’s losing streak while fending off the advances of Carl’s neglected wife Patti (Uma Thurman) and divorced “soccer moms” Denise (Catherine Zeta Jones) and Barb (Judy Greer). At least he’s finally bonding with his son, but now Stacie’s about to get re-married! Is there a chance that he can turn things around for the team and his family?

Really, is there any doubt where this fluff is heading? At least Butler doesn’t have to strain at another American accent (usually screaming out of one side of his mouth). He’s playing another variation of the man-child who becomes a responsible adult thanks to the love of an adorable tot and an extremely patient woman. At least the ladies are treated to a couple of sans shirt scenes. Speaking of ladies, the actresses here are ill-served by this weak script. The radiantly beautiful Biel is made to look frumpy for most of the flick (Butler’s tousled locks are given more attention than her glowing mane). She’s icy to her ex at first, but that dad-son bonding melts her heart, of course. On the other hand, the maternal temptresses always look like they were just touched up by their personal stylists. After picking up her CHICAGO Oscar, Jones has not had any film roles that have showcased her considerable talents. This  role is a bit of an improvement over the wild-eyed shrew in ROCK OF AGES. When Butler’s immune to her sultry smiles she offers herself to groom him for ESPN. Here’s hoping next year’s BROKEN CITY is more worthy of her time. Still, she fares better than Thurman as a desperate housewife on the prowl. At one point she’s bemoaning her hubby’s infidelity, then next moment she’s rolling around on George’s bed in skimpy black lingerie (perhaps to prove she’s got her pre-baby bod back). Maybe Quentin can get her back in the bright yellow track suit soon. The other steamy suburbanite is played by the delightful comic actress, Greer, who is the film’s only bright spot (I’ll add a star just for her way too short scenes). She’s deserving of her own screen showcase. After playing the third pompous movie jerk in a row (after THE WORDS and WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING), I’m happy that Quaid has scored a hit TV series (“Vegas”). If this is what the big screen is offering him, then the small screen can provide much better vehicles. I guess the same can be said for all those involved with this effort.

The actors are certainly not helped by the odd directorial choices from Gabriele Muccino. He overuses the steadycam to the point of nausea. It’s a dialogue scene in a kitchen! Lock that camera down! It’s not edgy, it’s distracting! Same shakiness for the scenes of the soccer team saying inappropriate lines, but it’s so adorably cute. At least we can be safe to say that PLAYING FOR KEEPS is the last dismal dreary rom-com of the year. I wonder if there are cinema penalty cards?

1.5 Out of 5

Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of PLAYING FOR KEEPS In St. Louis

Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Dennis Quaid star in PLAYING FOR KEEPS, a romantic comedy about a charming, down-on-his luck former soccer star (Butler) who returns home to put his life back together. Looking for a way to rebuild his relationship with his son, he gets roped into coaching the boy’s soccer team. But his attempts to finally become an “adult” are met with hilarious challenges from the attractive “soccer moms” who pursue him at every turn. PLAYING FOR KEEPS is directed by Gabriele Muccino, the director of “The Pursuit of Happyness.

Film District and WAMG invite you to enter to win a pass to the advance screening of PLAYING FOR KEEPS on December 3rd at 7PM in St. Louis.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. SEND YOUR FULL NAME TO michelle@wearemoviegeeks.com .
3. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: Tell us your favorite Gerard Butler film and why.

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 13.


Photo credit: Dale Robinette

PLAYING FOR KEEPS opens in theaters on December 7th, 2012.

For the latest news and updates, be sure to follow PLAYING FOR KEEPS on the official Facebook and Twitter pages.

http://playingforkeepsmovie.com/

#PlayingForKeeps


Photo credit: Dale Robinette

Win A Pass To The Advance Screening Of HITCHCOCK in St. Louis

Lurking behind Alfred Hitchcock, cinema’s “master of suspense” — the extraordinary film icon known for orchestrating some of the most intense experiences of menace and intrigue audiences have ever seen, was a hidden side: his creatively explosive romance with his steadfast wife and filmmaking collaborator, Alma Reville.

Now, for the first time, director Sacha Gervasi’s HITCHCOCK lays bare their captivating and complex love story. It does so through the sly, shadowy lens of their most daring filmmaking adventure: the making of the spine-tingling 1960 thriller, PSYCHO, which would become the director’s most controversial and legendary film. When the tumultuous, against-the-odds production was over, nothing about movies would ever be the same – but few realized that it took two to pull it off.

Gervasi and a cast that includes Academy Award® winners Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren starring as Alfred and Alma spin a story rife with surprises, comic ironies and dark twists in the Hitchockian tradition. But at the heart of the film lies not only the obsessions and fears of two people but the distinctively tenacious love that drove Hitchcock’s art behind the curtain.

HITCHCOCK opens at the St. Louis Plaza Frontenac on Friday, November 30th.

Fox Searchlight and WAMG invite you to enter to win a pass to the advance screening of HITCHCOCK on November 27th at 7PM in St. Louis

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. SEND YOUR FULL NAME and ANSWERS TO: michelle@wearemoviegeeks.com  – Subject line: HITCHCOCK Screening
3. HITCHCOCK Fact or Fiction –

  • In 2012, PSYCHO is #18 on the list of America’s Greatest Movies as complied by the American Film Institute.
  • Hitchcock made PSYCHO for $800,000 and shot it in black and white in 30 days.
  • Alma died at age 82, two years after Hitchcock’s death.
  • Hitchcock’s first American film was THE 39 STEPS, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture (but Hitchcock never won the award for Best Director, despite five nominations).
  • PSYCHO made two-and-a-half times more at the box office than Hitchcock’s previous biggest hit, NORTH BY NORTHWEST, and Hitchcock was nominated for his fifth and last Academy Award for directing and once again did not win.

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-13.

Fox Searchlight Pictures presents, in association with Cold Spring Pictures, a Montecito Picture Company and Barnette/Thayer production, HITCHCOCK directed by Sacha Gervasi with a screenplay by John J. McLaughlin based on the book Alfred Hitchcock and The Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello.

The film also stars Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, Toni Collette as Peggy Robertson, Danny Huston as Whitfield Cook, Jessica Biel as Vera Miles, Michael Stuhlbarg as agent Lew Wasserman, James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins, Michael Wincott as Ed Gein, Kurtwood Smith as Geoffrey Shurlock and Richard Portnow as Barney Balaban. The film is produced by Ivan Reitman, Tom Pollock, Joe Medjuck, Tom Thayer and Alan Barnette, with Ali Bell and Richard Middleton as executive producers.

The creative team includes two-time Academy Award-nominated director of photography Jeff Cronenweth, ASC (THE SOCIAL NETWORK, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO), Academy Award-nominated film editor Pamela Martin, A.C.E (THE FIGHTER), production designer Judy Becker (THE FIGHTER), two-time Academy Award-nominated costume designer Julie Weiss (FRIDA, TWELVE MONKEYS), music by four-time Academy Award-nominated Danny Elfman (GOOD WILL HUNTING, MILK), and special makeup effects by Academy Award winner Howard Berger (THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA) & Gregory Nicotero.

HITCHCOCK opens in select theaters beginning November 23rd.

Like the film on Facebook here. Visit film’s official site here. Follow on Twitter here.

First Look At Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Catherine Zeta-Jones In PLAYING FOR KEEPS; In Theaters Dec 7

Get a first look at Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel and Catherine Zeta-Jones in PLAYING FOR KEEPS, a romantic comedy about a charming, down-on-his luck former soccer star (Butler) who returns home to put his life back together. Looking for a way to rebuild his relationship with his son, he gets roped into coaching the boy’s soccer team. But his attempts to finally become an “adult” are met with hilarious challenges from the attractive “soccer moms” who pursue him at every turn. PLAYING FOR KEEPS is directed by Gabriele Muccino, the director of “The Pursuit of Happyness.”

Also starring Dennis Quaid, Uma Thurman and Judy Greer, PLAYING FOR KEEPS opens in theaters on December 7th, 2012.

TOTAL RECALL ( 2012 ) – The Review

Well Mr. Farrell, is this going to be an annual Summertime event ? I’m talking about his starring in big budget remakes. And not of films from Hollywood’s Golden Age. These are from the last 30 years or so ( I saw them in theatres in the original release, so thanks for making me feel even older Mr. F! ). Last year he was in the remake of 1985’s FRIGHT NIGHT taking on Chris Sarandon’s suburban vamp Jerry Brewster ( I prefer the original for Roddy McDowell and the lack of murky, dim 3D ). This time he’s got much bigger shoes to fill. Farrell’s got the Arnold Schwarzenegger role in the remake of TOTAL RECALL. The first version came out in 1990 inbetween the Austrian Oak’s comedies KINDERGARTEN COP and TWINS, well before he returned as our favorite cinema cyborg. This was also director Paul Verhoeven’s follow-up to ROBOCOP ( which is about to be rebooted soon ). Now Len Wiseman ( perhaps best known for starting the UNDERWORLD series ) is behind the reins. Can he replace our memories of a butt-kickin’ Sharon Stone and those misshapen Mars mutants with this new SF head trip?

It’s pretty much the same set-up as before. Doug Quaid ( Farrell ) is a working drone living in the “Colony”. Seems that in the far off future the only parts of Earth that are still inhabitable are England ( now the United Federation of Britain where all the swells reside in luxury ) and an island across the globe ( probably Australia ) called ” The Colony”. It’s not so nice. You could say that it’s Gotham City to UFB’s Metropolis ( for you comics fans ). Every morning Doug leaves his gorgeous wife Lori ( Kate Beckinsale ) and joins pal Harry ( Bookem Woodbine ) in a massive commuter tube ( called ” the Drop”, or ” the Fall”, or something ominous like that ) that shoots them through the Earth’s core to UFB where they work at a factory producing robots ( or “Synthoids ” ) used as military back-up. Seems a revolutionary group lead by Matthias ( Bill Nighy ), which is trying to liberate the colonists, is causing UFB leader Cohaagen ( Bryan Cranston ) no end of headaches. Speaking of the old noggin, Doug’s not been sleeping well because of some dreams where he’s fighting UFB forces alongside gorgeous warrior Melina ( Jessica Biel ). These visions along with some job fatigue inspire Doug to walk into the local “Rekall” shop ( despite Harry’s warnings ). ” Rekall ” plants new memories into your brain via a high-tech brain-chair. But something goes haywire and a switch is tripped inside Doug. Seems that everything he knows is a lie! ( Cue David Byrne, ” This is not my beautiful wife..” ). Can he get to the bottom of things and learn the truth about his past? And how does he fit into the big global battles? Just who is he and what side is he on?

So does this version work better in the era of CGI effects? Well, Farrell is more believable as a working stiff than Ah-nold. And Mr. F handles the action stuff very well. But, for wont of a better word, the 1990 model is a whole lot more fun. I mean gooey-cheesy fun! There are a few nods to the original, but I miss those over-the-top make-up effects from Rob Bottin and company. And the new version is repetitious almost to the point of boredom. It’s chase, leap, shoot, chase, exposition…., shoot, chase, explosion, leap, plot…., chase, etc. The film plays out more like a video game with dull dialogue between levels. And all the running and chasing. Makes you realize why Chuck Jones’s Road Runner cartoons are so great! They’re only seven minutes, not stretched-out over two hours! I wish I could at least praise the art direction, but the ” Colony ” is pure BLADE RUNNER meets Venice ( with the crowded neon-lit streets and constant rain ) and AFB is THE FIFTH ELEMENT with the massive, stacked skyscrapers and magnetic hover-cars ( a nod to STAR WARS EP. II there ). As for the actors, Beckinsale looks to be relishing a rare bad-girl role ( greatly expanded from Stone’s role in 1990 ). She’s a sexy future version of the unstoppable Bond hench…er…person. At least she’s having some fun!  Biel and Nighy are woefully underused as the rebels while Cranston is playing a more vicious balck-hatted villain version of the oily politico we saw a few weeks ago in ROCK OF AGES. The whole flick is exhausting and overdone. Not that the original is full of subtlety. After viewing this you may wish that you got your ” a** to Mars”, or to your local video store to see the original. I bet that talking chest-head thingy looks mighty fine on Blu!

Overall Rating: 2 Out of 5 Stars

HITCHCOCK To Begin Principal Photography; Stars Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, James D’Arcy, Jessica Biel & Toni Collette

Fox Searchlight Pictures and Montecito Pictures announced today that principal photography for the drama HITCHCOCK will start on April 13th in Los Angeles. The film will star Academy Award® winners Sir Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock and Dame Helen Mirren as his wife, Alma. Sacha Gervasi, whose big screen debut, ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL won the 2010 Best Documentary Feature prize at the Independent Spirit Awards, will direct from a screenplay by John McLaughlin, revisions by Ryan Murphy, Stephen Rebello and Sacha Gervasi, based on the book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello. Ivan Reitman, Tom Pollock and Joe Medjuck of Montecito Pictures (UP IN THE AIR) will produce along with Tom Thayer and Alan Barnette. Ali Bell and Richard Middleton will be executive producers. The film will be co-financed by Fox Searchlight Pictures and Cold Spring Pictures. HITCHCOCK will be released worldwide by Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Claudia Lewis, President of Production and David Greenbaum, Senior Vice President of Production are overseeing the project for Fox Searchlight Pictures.

HITCHCOCK is a love story about one of the most influential filmmakers of the last century, Alfred Hitchcock and his wife and partner Alma Reville. The film takes place during the making of Hitchcock’s seminal movie PSYCHO.

The film will also star Scarlett Johansson (LOST IN TRANSLATION) as Janet Leigh, James D’Arcy (MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD) as Anthony Perkins, Jessica Biel (THE ILLUSIONIST ) as Vera Miles, Michael Stuhlbarg (A SERIOUS MAN) as Lew Wasserman, Toni Collette (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE) as Hitchcock’s secretary Peggy, Michael Wincott (THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO) as Ed Gein, Kurtwood Smith (TO DIE FOR) as Geoffrey Shurlock, Richard Portnow (GOOD MORNING VIETNAM) as Barney Balaban and Danny Huston (THE CONSTANT GARDENER) as Whitfield Cook.

Sir Anthony Hopkins received the Academy Award for Best Actor for THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and subsequent nominations for THE REMAINS OF THE DAY and NIXON. Hopkins has previously starred in HANNIBAL, MEET JOE BLACK, INSTINCT, TITUS, HOWARD’S END, BRAM STROKER’S DRACULA, LEGENDS OF THE FALL and THE ROAD TO WELLVILLE.

Dame Helen Mirren received the Academy Award for Best Actress for THE QUEEN and was also nominated for THE LAST STATION. She has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE and GOSFORD PARK. Most recently, she starred in THE DEBT. Mirren played the iconic role of Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison over seven miniseries in the acclaimed British drama “Prime Suspect.”

Sacha Gervasi made his feature film directorial debut with the Independent Spirit Award® winning ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL in 2009. He began his career as a screenwriter with the film THE BIG TEASE with Craig Ferguson, and later, he scripted the screenplay for Steven Spielberg’s THE TERMINAL in 2004.

NEW YEAR’S EVE (2011) – The Review

 

 

Seems that not that long ago holidays were almost the exclusive domain of horror flicks ( thanks in no small part to John Carpenter’s 1978 classic HALLOWEEN ). This extended to other calendar dates like certain Fridays and even birthdays. With the release last year of VALENTINE’S DAY the “rom-com” has decided to horn in on the cineplex action thanks to TV sitcom master ( his trifecta being ” Happy Days “, ” Laverne and Shirley ” and ” Mork and Mindy ” ) turned movie comic kingpin ( PRETTY WOMAN ) Gary Marshall. Now Mr. M has decided to take on another big ( usually romantic ) holiday with NEW YEAR’S EVE and once again he’s assembled another gang of big stars ( with two returnees from last year ). We’ve haven’t opened our presents under the tree yet ( some of us haven’t even begun shopping ), so is this early cinema offering a gift that we’ll revisit again and again?

 Like the previous holiday flick, this is several stories intercut over the running time ( some share characters and settings ). Speaking of settings, this time NYC replaces LA ( a very mild winter Big Apple ). Let’s check them off! Hilary Swank is a city worker in charge of the big Times Square celebration ( including the dropping of the big ball ) who’s aided by good pal, policeman Chris ” Ludacris ” Bridges. One of the entertainers there is Jenson, played by real life rocker Jon Bon Jovi, who’s also singing at a big record company party catered by Katherine Heigl and her assistant Sofia Vergara. A put-upon worker at said record company, Michelle Pfieffer, quits and offers tickets to the big party to messenger Zac Efron if he can help her check items off her ” things to do list “. Zac’s brother is a cynical, New Year’s-hating cartoonist ( Ashton Kutcher )  trapped in his building’s elevator along with perky singer Lea Michelle, who’s on her way to sing back up with Jenson. At a hospital young parents-to-be Seth Meyers and Jessica Biel compete with another couple to collect the cash prize for the first birth of 2012. On another floor, nurse Halle Berry tends to a dying Robert DeNiro, who just wants to live long enough to see the 2011 become history. Sarah Jessica Parker is a harried single mother trying to track down teenage daughter Abigal Breslin who hopes to share her first kiss with that special boy at midnight in Times Square. Also racing into town in order to share a midnight kiss is Josh Duhamel, who encounters many obstacles ( and wacky characters ) on his way back from a Connecticut wedding. Whew, what a night!

 Marshall does his best to juggle the many stories. Unfortunately he has to cut away from many plots just as the momentum starts building. And many of them would’ve been better left on the editing room floor, particularly those agonizing attempts at pathos. The DeNiro/Berry scenes really seem to slow things up while a turgid,televised speech by Swank grinds things to a complete halt ( really, the Times Square crowds are completely silent? Really? ). The script is very TV “sitcomy” with many obvious set-ups and punch lines. The big star list may be more a testament to the good will that Marshall engenders rather than the quality of the material. Still several of the more seasoned comedy pr0s wring some laughs especially SNL’s Meyers and Vergara ( her character here is an even more ethnic and hot-to-trot variation of her Gloria from TV’s ” Modern Family ” ). Many pairings just don’t have much of a spark ( the Kutcher/Michelle pairing is a bit creepy ). I was really disheartened that Pfieffer was saddled with a frumpy brown wig and doing another take on the pre-Catwoman Selina Kyle. Fortunately the film moves to another location and pairing very quickly. I breathed a sigh of relief that Heigl and Parker shared no scenes. I feared that the two queens of awful romcoms on-screen together might create some sort of cinema black hole. There is great use of NYC locations, but it’s not enough to recommend this cliche-ridden, cloying mess. Stick around for the end credits bloopers-they’re a lot funnier than what’s in the main film ( maybe you’ll get to be that funny in a comedy soon, Mr. DeNiro! ). Let’s hope this is the last holiday to get this big screen desecration from the Marshall gang ( I’m sure Hector Elizondo will still get plenty of work! ).

 

Overall Rating: One and a Half Out of Five Stars

 

 

 

Win Passes To See NEW YEAR’S EVE In St. Louis

Wanna celebrate NEW YEAR’S EVE a bit early this year? Well, WAMG is giving you that opportunity by giving away passes to see NEW YEAR’S EVE, the movie!

The screening for NEW YEAR’S EVE will be on DECEMBER 5th at RONNIE’S 20 THEATER in ST. LOUIS 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 is your best New Year’s Eve story?

WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED.

ANYONE CAUGHT REPRINTING TICKETS FOR DISTRIBUTION WILL BE BANNED FROM OUR CONTESTS! DUPLICATE TICKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED!

SYNOPSIS:

FOR MORE INFO:

WEBSITE: http://newyearsevemovie.warnerbros.com/index.html
‘LIKE’ NEW YEAR’S EVE On FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/newyearsevemovie

NEW YEAR’S EVE hits theaters December 9th

First Photo Of Colin Farrell In TOTAL RECALL Remake


PHOTO BY: Michael Gibson

Here’s your first look at Colin Farrell in Columbia Pictures’ TOTAL RECALL. The film (and pointless remake) is directed by Len Wiseman (UNDERWORLD, LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD) and stars Colin Farrell, Bryan Cranston, Kate Beckinsale, Bill Nighy, Jessica Biel, Ethan Hawke, and John Cho.

As the nation states Euromerica and New Shanghai vie for supremacy, factory worker Doug Quaid (Farrell) begins to suspect that he’s a spy, though he is unaware which side of the fight he’s on.

From Columbia Studios, TOTAL RECALL will be in theaters August 3, 2012.

Visit the movie’s official site: http://www.totalrecall-movie.com/

“Like” the film on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TotalRecallMovie

FilmDistrict Scores PLAYING THE FIELD

Gerard Butler & Jessica Biel
Headline Soccer-Mom Rom Com

Star-Studded Cast Includes Uma Thurman, Judy Greer, Dennis Quaid and Catherine Zeta-Jones

FilmDistrict has acquired all US rights to PLAYING THE FIELD from Nu Image/Millennium Films. Directed by Gabriele Muccino (THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS) from a script by Robbie Fox (SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER), PLAYING THE FIELD is in production by Gerard Butler and Alan Siegel in association with Kevin Misher, Jonathan Mostow, Heidi Jo Markel and John Thompson. Nu Image / Millennium Films’ Danny Dimbort, Trevor Short & Avi Lerner are serving as Executive Producers.  Headlined by Butler and Jessica Biel, the A-list cast includes Judy Greer, Dennis Quaid, Uma Thurman and Catherine Zeta-Jones. FilmDistrict is planning to release the film in Spring 2012.

PLAYING THE FIELD kicks off with the homecoming of George (Gerard Butler), a retired soccer pro whose glory days are behind him. Burnt out on his playboy lifestyle and bankrupted by a string of bad investments, George moves back to Virginia to reconnect with his estranged ex-wife (Jessica Biel) and neglected son (Noah Lomax). Making up for lost time, George starts to coach the boys’ soccer team. But can he keep his eyes on the goal when the bleachers are stacked with sexy soccer moms and desperate housewives?

Says FilmDistrict CEO Peter Schlessel, “PLAYING THE FIELD is a fun PG-13 romantic comedy that in the very capable hands of Gabriele Muccino is sure to be a hit. The great comedic cast will definitely have fun with Robbie Fox’s terrific script.”

“We are very pleased to have closed this deal with Peter Schlessel and FilmDistrict for “PLAYING THE FIELD” and hope it will be the first of many to come.  I am confident they will do a great job bringing this picture to market”, says Avi Lerner, Co-Chairman of Nu Image/Millennium Films.

About FilmDistrict

FilmDistrict is a multi-faceted acquisitions, distribution, production and financing company focusing on wide release, commercial pictures. Founded in September by Graham King and Tim Headington’s GK Films, in partnership with Peter Schlessel, the company’s films include INSIDIOUS, April 1; SOUL SURFER, April 8; DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK, Aug. 26; DRIVE, Sept. 16; THE RUM DIARY, Oct. 28; and LOCKOUT, Feb. 24, 2012. For more information, visit filmdistrict.com.

About Nu Image/Millennium Films

Nu Image, Inc./Millennium Films is a full-service production company and distributor, supplying markets worldwide.  Currently, they develop, finance, produce and distribute 15 to 18 films a year, with productions filming globally.

This August audiences worldwide will see the highly anticipated Conan the Barbarian, from Nu Image/Millennium Films. Production on The Expendables 2 will commence soon, following the blockbuster The Expendables that has passed over $200 million worldwide (directed, written and starring Sylvester Stallone).  Currently in production in addition to Playing the Field, is Medallion with Nicolas Cage, Josh Lucas, Malin Ackerman, Danny Huston and directed by Simon West.

Founded in 1992 with partners Danny Dimbort, Trevor Short, Avi Lerner and Danny Lerner, Nu Image created Millennium Films in 1996 to address the market’s growing need for quality theatrical films and higher budget action features. Together, they have produced more than 300 films.

Nu Image is headquartered in Los Angeles and owns full service studios and production facilities in Sofia, Bulgaria called Nu Boyana, and the recently completed Millennium Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana.