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Rumour: Jonathan Rhys Meyers in talks for Star Wars: Episode VII?
Mon, 20 May 2013 09:07:00 GMT
 Up until now, the Star Wars: Episode VII rumour mill has largely concerned itself with the will-they / won’t-they saga of Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, with wider casting whispers having proved few and far between. However, that’s all changed this morning with Latino Review reporting that Jonathan Rhys Meyers is in talks to join the first episode of the new trilogy. No details have been released as to who Meyers might be playing, but the star does have previous with director J.J. Abrams, having appeared in a supporting role in Mission: Impossible 3. Given the ferocity with which Abrams guards his secrets, don’t expect confirmation of this one any time soon, although it does make a nice change from all the talk about the return of the old guard.
Directed by Abrams, Star Wars: Episode VII will begin production in the UK next year, with the film expected to arrive in cinemas in 2015. 
  
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Michael B. Jordan hints at Human Torch casting in Fantastic Four reboot
Mon, 20 May 2013 07:01:00 GMT
Chronicle star Michael B. Jordan has been discussing a potential reunion with director Josh Trank on the latter’s forthcoming Fantastic Four reboot, and from the way he's talking, it certainly sounds as though there’s a part with his name on it.
“Everyone knows we’re good friends,” said Jordan of his relationship with the director. “If it happened I would be ecstatic. I'd love to be a part of it.”
The part Jordan has been linked with is that of Johnny Storm, otherwise known as The Human Torch, with some fans registering their objections over casting an African-American actor in the role. However, Jordan suggests said fans ought to calm down and move with the times...
“Things change,” said the star. “It's 2013 right now. The characteristics of The Human Torch are his name is Johnny Storm, he's charismatic, and he's a playboy. That's it.”
With filming set to begin later this year, The Fantastic Four will open in the UK on 6 March 2015. 
  
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Joss Whedon talks Avengers 2 additions
Mon, 20 May 2013 06:44:00 GMT
Just last month, Joss Whedon was teasing the addition of a brother-sister partnership to his super-team lineup for The Avengers 2, with tongues immediately set wagging among the online fan community.
The names on everybody’s lips were those of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, with Whedon now confirming that the duo have made their way into his embryonic script.
“You know, they had a rough beginning,” says Whedon of the double act, blessed with super-speed and the ability to perform chaos magic respectively.
“They’re interesting to me because they sort of represent the part of the world that wouldn’t necessarily agree with The Avengers. So they’re not there to make things easier. I’m not putting any characters in the movie that will make things easier.”
How about Iron Man then? With Robert Downey Jr. still weighing up a new contract, can we definitely expect to see Tony Stark involved in a sequel (potential Iron Man 3 spoilers ahead)?
“He blew up his remote suits (in Iron Man 3), but I don’t think anybody thinks he doesn’t have one any more,” says Whedon. “The question is, if the Avengers are called, does he show up? And the answer is, ‘Yes!’”
The Avengers 2 will open in the UK on 1 May 2015. 
  
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Another new Anchorman 2 teaser arrives online: watch now
Mon, 20 May 2013 06:28:00 GMT
Anchorman: The Legend Continues has released a brand new teaser online, featuring another testosterone-drenched onslaught from the Channel 4 News team.
As was the case with the original teaser, the new footage shows Champ Kind, Brian Fantana, Ron Burgundy and Brick Tamland addressing the camera with a punchy, attention-grabbing quip.
And once again, poor old Brick hasn’t quite mastered the point of the exercise. If anything, his outburst is even funnier this time around...
Take a look, below...
Off-point it may be, but that’s some damn fine advice from everyone’s favourite weather man. And we must confess that “HEY, FAT-FACE” also had us in stitches...
Directed by Adam McKay and co-starring Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and David Koechner, Anchorman: The Legend Continues will open in the UK on 20 December 2013. 
  
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Robert Downey Jr. talks Iron Man future
Mon, 20 May 2013 06:14:00 GMT
Iron Man 3 might have enjoyed the second biggest opening weekend in US box office history, but with Robert Downey Jr.’s contract now expired, the status of a potential fourth film remains clouded in uncertainty.
Downey is currently thought to be in negotiations over a potential return, although whether that will be in another solo movie or simply another Avengers outing remains to be seen.
“I’d go start another one tomorrow,” said Downey of the Iron Man franchise, “but it’s not tomorrow. And there are a lot of other considerations. But I also don’t like the idea of leaving people hanging or leaving people in the lurch.”
This uncertainty seems at least partly borne out of a desire to do other things, understandable for a man who has been the foundation stone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for quite some time now.
“My intent is to launch another franchise," continued the star, "independent of any that I can even imagine right now. My intent is to dominate the playing field for as long as I can, with my own challenges, with myself.”
Meanwhile, Kevin Feige is confident that the character has a long future on the big screen, regardless of how these contract negotiations are resolved.
“I believe there will be a fourth Iron Man film and a fifth and a sixth and a 10th and a 20th,” says Feige. “I see no reason why Tony Stark can’t be as evergreen as James Bond. Or Batman for that matter. Or Spider-Man. I think Iron Man is a character just like that.” 
  
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The Selfish Giant reaction: Cannes 2013
Sun, 19 May 2013 17:48:00 GMT
In an uncommonly strong first five days, one of the two or three standouts of the festival thus far is Clio Barnard’s sophomore feature, The Selfish Giant. In 2010, the artist filmmaker wowed critics with The Arbor, an experimental documentary about Bradford playwright Andrea Dunbar that mixed hard-hitting recreations with lip-synced performances. Again set in Bradford, The Selfish Giant sees Barnard turn her hand assuredly to more traditional filmmaking, though there is nothing run-of-the-mill about her blend of ragged immediacy with images poised and poetic, the authentic with the mythic. At its wildly beating heart is 13-year-old Bradford tyke Arbor (astonishing newcomer Conner Chapman), a hyper, uncontrollable lad who often neglects to take his meds but is never without a profane retort and a flashing grin. Beset by rages, Arbor is delighted to be expelled from school and promptly sets about earning a living by collecting – and often stealing – scrap metal. Together with gentle best friend Swifty (Shaun Thomas), he traverses forlorn, squalid landscapes on a horse and cart, delivering his ill-gotten gains to titular scrap dealer Kitten (Sean Gilder). Their missions become ever more hazardous and a wedge is driven between them by Kitten, who befriends Swifty and berates Arbor. Standing on the shoulders of the Brit kitchen sinkers of the ‘50s and ‘60s, The Selfish Giant also recalls the social realism of Ken Loach’s films, with Kes the most obvious reference point. Cinemagoers more au fait with movies of the last 20 years might think of The Full Monty, Brassed Off and Billy Elliott – and will be wholly unprepared for the kick this delivers. It is an edgy, energetic picture that hollers with anger and deprivation and throbbing pain, but also with friendship and loyalty, hope and redemption. Meanwhile, mist-wreathed fields dotted by silent horses introduce a twilight beauty that punctuates serrated scenes of domestic meltdown, with screams ricocheting about shabby interiors. In these serene moments, Barnard teases out a magical realism befitting a fable – aptly so given that her source material, loosely at least, is Oscar Wilde’s same-titled short story. A small triumph, The Selfish Giant announces the filmmaker as one of Britain’s finest, her work to be anticipated with the feverishness bestowed on the likes of Lynne Ramsey, Ben Wheatley, Jonathan Glazer, Andrea Arnold, Shane Meadows and Peter Strickland. 
  
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The Coens talk Inside Llewyn Davis: Cannes 2013
Sun, 19 May 2013 13:16:00 GMT
This afternoon the Coen brothers and their cast gathered before the world’s press to glory in the overwhelmingly positive reaction to their 16th feature, Inside Llewyn Davis. Playing in competition the previous night, Davis presents the mostly fictional life of the titular folk musician, living and playing in Greenwich Village in the early ‘60s. “A lot of the music he plays is what [real folk balladeer] Dave Van Ronk played, but it’s just a made-up character,” explained Ethan, the brothers choosing to filter a specific time and place through their prodigious imaginations. “We’ve always loved the music,” added Joel, “and we were interested in the whole scene in the village. People know less about [the early ‘60s] than when Dylan came in, in the late ‘60s.” Folk is as important to Davis as bluegrass was to O Brother, Where Art Thou? and there are several scenes which required Oscar Isaac, playing the title character, and other assorted cast members to perform live on stage. “It’s me singing, we recorded the music live,” smiles Isaac, today looking a good deal more groomed than he does in the film. “Singing and playing… it’s what we all did.” Carey Mulligan and Justin Timberlake nod in agreement. They play a singing couple called Jim and Jean. “It was very frightening!” laughs Mulligan. “But Joel and Ethan made us feel very comfortable.” Timberlake, of course, had less to fear, but is keen to point out that he connected with the material despite the folk singers in the movie being all but penniless. “Before Dylan became a poster child, so many people were experimenting with sound,” he says. “It was avant-garde. I can relate to that. Me and my producer always experiment.” 
  
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Inside Llewyn Davis reaction: Cannes 2013
Sat, 18 May 2013 20:31:00 GMT
Inside Llewyn Davis should again see the Coens compete for prizes at Cannes. Melancholy and funny, quirky and touching, it stands among their strongest work. Set in 1961, the brothers' 16th movie follows Greenwich Village folk musician Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaacs in a star-making turn) as he crashes on friends’ couches and plays smoky dives for tiny purses and sparse applause. This is the scene before Dylan a-changed the times, when Elvis ruled and any guys (or gals) who opted to strum guitars while choking their souls onto the sawdust were considered strangulated bums. Davis schleps around New York with his guitar (and, in an inspired running gag, a ginger cat), then hitches to Chicago for a final fling at catching his break. The response to his impromptu audition is one of the film’s many highlights. In terms of narrative, that’s about your lot, though there are sub-plots involving Davis having got his friend’s girl (Carey Mulligan) pregnant and his estrangement from his ill father. The Coens fill in the spaces with beautifully judged observations, wry humour, typically colourful supporting characters (which include roles for John Goodman and Justin Timberlake), bizarro visual flourishes and, naturally, a slew of live stage performances, all of them terrific. Bruno Delbonnel’s gorgeous visuals are etched on slate, and Ethan’s dialogue is precise and rhythmic but also alive. Like all of the Coens’ movies, Inside Llewyn Davis is crafted and calibrated but it contains a more organic quality than much of their work, placing it, stylistically, in the realm of Fargo and No Country For Old Men. That said, the long drive to Chicago must rank as one of the brothers’ most controlled, theatrical and memorable scenes: never-ending highway, plummeting snow, red taillights, and Goodman’s Orson Welles-alike oddball alternatively sleeping and orating; it’s as surreal and hellish as the hotel scenes in Barton Fink. Inside Llewyn Davis is a top-to-tail delight and the strongest movie to play in competition so far. 
  
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The Congress reaction: Cannes 2013
Sat, 18 May 2013 18:43:00 GMT
One of the most talked about (and seemingly divisive) films of the festival so far, Ari Folman’s The Congress – the Israeli director’s follow-up to his Oscar-nominated Waltz With Bashir – is an ambitious, trippy spectacle that mashes up movie-biz satire and future-shock sci-fi to mesmerising, if muddled, effect. Screening in the Director’s Fortnight strand, this part-live action, part-animated curio stars Robin Wright (in an emotional and extraordinarily committed turn) as, er, Robin Wright – an ageing Hollywood star whose career is drying up fast. That is, until, she’s offered one last job by the smarmy executive (Danny Huston) of ‘Miramount Pictures’ ("I don't know what you're talking about!" Folman playfully replied when quizzed on the company's familiar sounding name) – to have her every likeness and mannerism scanned into a computer to create a digital version of herself owned by the studio to cast as they see fit. The catch? Her immediate retirement from the acting profession. It’s an offer she’s rightly inclined to refuse – until the condition of her ailing son worsens, forcing her to take the paycheck. Twenty years later, she’s summoned back to the studio for another, even more sinister offer. But before she can pass into their gargantuan, futuristic HQ to talk it over, she’s required to down a vial of a mysterious substance in order to enter an ‘animation zone’… And that’s where things get really messed up. Based on Solaris writer Stanislaw Lem’s The Futurological Congress, Folman’s mind-bending take on the source novel really is a film of two halves. The first is a biting yet genuinely funny/moving mockery of Tinseltown’s many shortcomings, addressing issues of ageism, sexism and the threat of new-fangled technology on cinema as we know it. The second is a more direct adaptation of Lem’s story, using hallucinogenic, Yellow Submarine-style visuals to portray a Matrix-like world where a psychedelic utopia covers up a much darker reality. The transition is somewhat awkward but Folman just about pulls it off. Messy and uneven the future segment may be, but The Congress remains an original, thought-provoking headscratcher hybrid. “I first read the book when I was a teenager – I was a real sci-fi buff,” remembered Folman when Total Film caught up with him to discuss the film. “Waltz With Bashir was too much of a personal experience for me, especially travelling with the film and talking it about it so much, and I asked myself what do I want to do to get as far away as I can from that. Sci-fi is the best escapism and it’s my favourite genre in film, so I came back to this book. ” And just because the film is part-animated, don’t go expecting the same gritty style as his previous effort… “The animation is really inspired by the novel,” Folman explained. “With Bashir, my obsession was that it would be realistic, but here you didn’t need realism. I wanted something very rough, very vivid, not like perfect Disney style. I was looking for something fresh.” The Congress opens in the UK later this year. 
  
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Daniel Radcliffe describes Horns as "rock 'n' roll"
Sat, 18 May 2013 09:15:00 GMT
Daniel Radcliffe has done a sterling job shaking off the shackles of type-casting since graduating from Hogwarts, more than earning his place in the Future 100 in issue 207 of Total Film magazine.
Inside the issue, we look at movies, stars and trends shaping the future, and we chat to Radcliffe about his eclectic slate, including beat-lit flick Kill Your Darlings, and demonic adaptation Horns.
On the latter, the Alexandre Aja-directed adaptation of Joe Hill's novel, Radcliffe told us about how the film evades any easy genre classification.
“The first third starts off like some bizarre absurdist comedy, and then it becomes this epic tragic love story and revenge saga with elements of horror, fantasy, religion and everything else you can imagine along the way,” he explained. “And rock’n’roll, that’s another important influence in the movie. I saw it the other day and I do think that Alexandre has done an amazing job.”
On Horns' status as a horror film, Radcliffe added:
"The Woman In Black is more authentically horror. Horns has horror elements in it but it’s not really a horror film. “There’s one sequence where – in Alex’s words – we go into full slasher movie mode. Generally speaking, it’s never just one thing, which is why it will be a challenging film to market."
Horns will open in late 2013.
For much more from Radcliffe, pick up pick up issue 207 of Total Film magazine, which is out now! And Total Film magazine issue 207 comes with four awesome free posters, including Thor: The Dark World, Elysium, Monsters University and After Earth. Check out a preview below [click to see a larger version] 
(Posters only available with the magazine edition. Not available with digital tablet editions) Check out our full preview of the latest issue of Total Film magazine.
Subscribe to Total Film magazine now!
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Emma Watson talks The Bling Ring and Noah: Cannes 2013
Fri, 17 May 2013 19:33:00 GMT
Emma Watson’s post-Potter career continues to bloom, with her latest role – as fashion-obsessed celebrity burglar Nicki in Sofia Coppola’s crime drama The Bling Ring (read our reaction here) – getting plenty of plaudits from the punters of the film’s official premiere in Cannes last night. Total Film caught up with Watson this afternoon in the Croisette’s swanky Carlton hotel, where she told us all about the attraction of taking on a role that’s worlds apart from Hermione Grainger… “It’s so topical, it’s so present – it’s holding up a mirror really,” Watson explained of the film, which tells the (true) story of a group of high-schoolers who use the internet to find and break into the homes of celebs like Paris Hilton and Megan Fox, before posing with their swag on Facebook. “I think what I liked about [Nicki] is that she’s utterly tragic and very comedic all at the same time. The comedy was easy because the lines are written and they’re hilarious, but I wanted there to be a palpable sense of sadness and loneliness about her as well.” “I realised very quickly that my biggest challenge was somehow making this surreal, delusional, eccentric character real in some way, because she’s larger than life and also at times very unsympathetic,” she continued. “It was all about somehow trying to get the audience to identify with her, even if it’s just for a second. I talked to Sofia about it for hours and just really tried to figure out how to understand her.” “I liked that she has this kind of sweet face, which is interesting to play a bad girl,” added Coppola of casting Watson as a bitchy, OMG-a-minute teen. “She seemed to play a character that was so different from herself and she had a serious approach to something that could easily have become a cartoon.” We also quizzed Watson on her upcoming old-testament epic Noah (in which she plays the hero’s adopted daughter), which sees her teaming up onscreen with the likes of Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins for director Darren Aronofsky. “It was pretty grueling,” she explained of the shoot. “I had to be really vulnerable in a way that I’ve sort of touched on but never really gone all the way there, and also just physically, the hours we were shooting… The scale of it… I mean, it’s biblical, you know – the world’s ending!” 
  
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Christopher Nolan in talks for Bond 24?
Fri, 17 May 2013 10:45:00 GMT
 Given his status as the world’s premiere director of large-scale event cinema, it was perhaps inevitable that Christopher Nolan would become linked to the vacant director’s chair on Bond 24, and sure enough, that’s exactly what’s happened. The Daily Mail’s Baz Bamigboye reports that Nolan is in early talks with Bond bigwigs Barbara Broccoli and Michael G .Wilson, with a view to the director stepping into the position recently vacated by Sam Mendes. Our instant reaction to this one would be that with Nolan embarking upon pre-production on his forthcoming sci-fi film Interstellar, the likelihood of him jumping straight into another hugely time-consuming property would seem slim. However, Bamigboye was frequently on the money with his various scoops throughout Skyfall’s life-cycle, so it could well be the case that Broccoli and Wilson have at least sounded Nolan out about his potential availability. It may be that they’re simply keen to get his take on where the Bond films might go next, with Nolan having previously declared himself a fan of the series.
We’d certainly love to see Nolan take on the franchise at some point in the future, so if Bond 24 turns out to be an episode too soon, hopefully Broccoli and Wilson will be able to pique his interest further down the track… 
  
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The Past reaction: Cannes 2013
Fri, 17 May 2013 10:44:00 GMT
Showing in competition, domestic drama The Past is the follow-up to Oscar-winning A Separation by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi. A devastating tale of secrets, lies and scalding, squirm-inducing truths, it will surely feature come awards time. Set in Paris, it sees Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa) return from Tehran after a four-year absence to sign the divorce papers on his marriage to Marie (The Artist’s Berenice Bejo), a French woman who balances motherhood with a job in a pharmacy. Marie lives with her new boyfriend Samir (A Prophet’s Tahar Rahim), his young son and her two daughters, one a child and the other, Lucie (Pauline Buret), a teenager who’s ‘acting out’. After initial resistance, Ahmad agrees to take up residence in the house for a few days in order to spend time with his step-daughters, and soon finds himself acting the eye of a veritable shitstorm. Samir, it transpires, is married, his wife in a coma. Lucie nurses a terrible secret. Samir’s young son wears a permanent frown and tries to run away. Acting the mediator, Ahmad is inexorably drawn into the conflict, not least because a host of unresolved issues arise between himself and Marie. Fluently shot and lit naturalistically, The Past avoids a touristic approach to Paris as it places the protagonists in humdrum environs, Mahmoud Kalari’s camera more interested in faces and body language as the drama plays out. Favouring scalpel-sharp cuts and in favour of long takes, the editing further conveys the fragmentation of this abrasive family unit, with many conversations switching between one-shots rather than placing the characters in a single frame. Performances, across the board, are dazzling and fearless, and Farhadi’s script juggles the ensemble with dexterity, ensuring no one is side-lined, no reasons unexplained. It’s a tough film, certainly, but one that will continue to elevate Farhadi’s place in world cinema, excavating painful truths in a manner that recalls Bergman, Cassavetes, Fassbinder et al. And, crucially, it is not without tenderness, the final shot offering a glimmer of hope while refraining from outright sentiment.  
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Emma Watson announces an undead invasion in This Is The End clip: watch now
Fri, 17 May 2013 07:04:00 GMT
The recent behind-the-scenes featurette for apocalypse comedy This Is The End made much of its wide array of celebrity cameos, and the latest clip follows a similar pattern, with Emma Watson shacking up with the boys at James Franco’s house.
With all of LA seemingly a burning wasteland outside, Watson tips up clutching an axe and talking about an impending zombie holocaust.
Naturally, this is disturbing news, although Franco seems more concerned about how the sleeping arrangements are going to pan out...
Take a look, below:
Hopefully the slew of cameos will be as goofily funny and self-mocking as the ones on show here. Top marks to Jonah Hill, incidentally, whose puppyish expression scores a couple of bonus laughs.
Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and co-starring Danny McBride, Jay Baruchel and Craig Robinson, This Is The End will open in the UK on 28 June 2013. 
  
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Fast & Furious infographic: Cast, Locations, Cars
Fri, 17 May 2013 07:02:00 GMT
Fast & Furious 6 is in cinemas now, and the franchise has been on quite a journey since The Fast And Furious put the keys in the ignition back in 2001.
As well as the literal journey, location-hopping around the globe, F&F has seen its cast taken apart, tuned up and re-assembled, and plenty of cars have been destroyed along the way.
Which makes it all the handier to have this infographic, detailing the cast members, locations, cars, and - crucially car wrecks, as a handy catch-up before you see the new film.
Check out the infographic in full below: [Click on the infographic to see it in hi-res] 
Fast & Furious 6 is in UK cinemas now. Judging by the ending of the latest film, there’s still plenty of fuel left in the tank...
 
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Mickey Rourke returning for Expendables 3
Fri, 17 May 2013 06:45:00 GMT
Sylvester Stallone has taken to Twitter to tease forthcoming sequel The Expendables 3, confirming Mickey Rourke’s return before hinting at some other new arrivals.
“Mighty Mickey is back” tweeted the action star, revealing that Rourke will return to reprise his role as tattoo artist, Tool. However, Stallone didn’t stop there, hinting that both Jackie Chan and Wesley Snipes are officially on board... Mighty Mickey is back............ — Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) May 16, 2013 What's the plan? Ask Jackie Chan.... — Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) May 16, 2013 Talked to WESLEY today ... He can not WAIT to fight to the top again !!!!!!! Over... — Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) May 16, 2013
As if that wasn’t exciting enough, Stallone also went on to suggest that The Raid would be an influence on the new film...
Thinking about Raiding, THE RAID....think about it... — Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) May 16, 2013 We believe we can do better than the RAID, which was an excellent film... Raising the bar... — Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) May 16, 2013
Whether or not that means that he’s looking at the movie for ideas, or whether star Iko Uwais is on his hit-list remains to be seen. Still, it’s not a bad starting point, is it?
Directed by Patrick Hughes and with most of the regulars set to return, The Expendables 3 is expected to open some time in 2014.
  
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New red-band trailer for The Hangover Part III: watch now
Fri, 17 May 2013 06:31:00 GMT
A new red-band trailer has arrived for The Hangover Part 3, in which Alan reminisces about the adventure so far, before revealing that he must leave the Wolfpack for good.
Naturally, this resolution lasts for all of five minutes, as it isn’t long before the boys are on the road again, in over their heads in another outlandish adventure.
This time, their troubles are all the work of Leslie Chow, who owes a lot of money to some very angry people. One of who, surprisingly enough, is “Black Doug”, from a mix-up in the first Hangover.
Take a look, below:
There's certainly a risk involved in beefing up Chow’s involvement to that of key protagonist, and there’s a chance that that cackle will become a tad irritating before the film is done. Let’s hope the Wolfpack aren’t just along for the ride in a Leslie Chow spin-off...
Directed by Todd Phillips and co-starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Ken Jeong, The Hangover Part 3 will open in the UK on 24 May 2013. 
  
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Brad Bird confirms interest in Incredibles sequel
Fri, 17 May 2013 06:14:00 GMT
With superhero sequels ten a penny these days, its somewhat surprising that we’ve yet to see a follow-up to 2004’s The Incredibles, although according to Brad Bird, there could yet be a sequel coming our way.
“I have been thinking about it,” admits the director in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “People think that I have not been, but I have. Because I love those characters and love that world. I am stroking my chin and scratching my head.
“I have many, many elements that I think would work really well in another [Incredibles] film, and if I can get ‘em to click all together, I would probably wanna do that.”
Meanwhile, Bird’s name was one that was recently linked to the director’s chair for Star Wars: Episode VII, a position he claims he was forced to turn down on account of his schedule.
“I’ve known Kathy [Kennedy] for a while and I know George [Lucas],” reveals Bird, “and they did come to me. But the problem was, the schedule they had in mind made it impossible to do…unless I dropped Tomorrowland.
“And I was just really deeply into this film at that point. It’s easy to say, “Just put it on hold.” But you’re moving now; you don’t know if you’re going to be able to move later. Maybe it’s true of filmmakers like Cameron or Spielberg, but I have to act on momentum. We had reached a critical mass where it would’ve thrown the furniture around from the train stopping.
“I really want to see this movie. I love the Star Wars films, and I can’t wait to see what J.J. does, but it meant I’d have to shut down one dream to participate in another. I feel like [with Tomorrowland] we’re making something that’s really special and unique.”
Tomorrowland will open in the US on 19 December 2014, with a UK release date to be confirmed. 
  
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Massive new trailer for Pacific Rim: watch now
Thu, 16 May 2013 19:54:00 GMT
Pacific Rim is one of the most keenly anticipated films on Total Film's radar for summer 2013, and an epic new trailer has dropped online.
For any latecomers to the party, Guillermo del Toro's latest film concerns the exploits of a group of highly trained pilots who control giant mechas (Jaegers) in a battle against enormous alien beings (Kaiju) that have emerged from the Pacific. In short, it's giant robots versus even bigger monsters. Where do we sign up?
Earlier trailers have promised giant set-pieces on a preposterous scale, but the latest promo footage is even more tantalising.
It begins by laying out the global scale of the threat (it doesn't all go down in the US...), and goes on to give a fresh look at some of the enemy beasties.
There's an impressively varied bunch on displayed: winged, horned, gorilla-esque… you name it.
Check out the new Pacific Rim trailer below: Grounding the larger-than-life carnage are cast members Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman, Rinko Kikuchi and Idris Elba.
Pacific Rim stomps into UK cinemas on 12 July 2013. 
  
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Martin Scorsese talks new movie: Cannes 2013
Thu, 16 May 2013 18:21:00 GMT
 In Cannes to raise funds for his long-cherished project Silence, Martin Scorsese sits on a yacht in his best grey suit, sipping champagne. “The subject matter is very close to my heart,” he tells Total Film. “I’ve been working on it since I first read the book [Shusaku Endo’s 1966 masterpiece of the same name] in 1989.” Having finally overcome legal matters and wrangled a workable script by scribe Jay Cocks (The Age Of Innocence, Gangs Of New York), Scorsese hopes to shoot in 2014. He describes the project as a “smaller film” requiring a “smaller approach, more internal”, but unleashes his famous honking laugh when he admits “there is landscape”. Quite. Set in the 17th century, Silence deals with two Jesuit priests who face violence and persecution when they leave New York to head for Japan in order to spread Christianity. For Scorsese, it’s an unquestionably personal film. “It goes back to growing up in New York, living in an area that was pretty tough, and also the church at the same time,” he says. “It’s similar to Mean Streets, in a way,” he continues. “It deals with spiritual matters in a concrete, physical world; a world where invariably the worst of human nature is revealed.” But, tantalisingly, the 71-year-old director also refers to Silence as a “suspenseful film, with elements of a thriller… it combines that with themes that were overt in Kundun and Bringing Out The Dead.” Scorsese has already cast Andrew Garfield in the lead and has actors in mind for the other key roles. He’s not telling just yet, but he does say, “There’s an older Jesuit, in his 50s, and another young priest. I have to cast the older gentleman before I can cast the younger one.” We can only pray that Robert De Niro is sitting by his phone…
  
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The Bling Ring reaction: Cannes 2013
Thu, 16 May 2013 12:35:00 GMT
Sofia Coppola has made a career out of lensing lost souls blighted by ennui and emptiness, and her fifth film, The Bling Ring, spies the same subject from a different angle. Playing in the Un Certain Regard section, Coppola’s achingly hip, down-with-the-kids movie takes for its inspiration a Vanity Fair article entitled ‘The Suspects Wore Louboutins’, and recounts the strange 2008-2009 tale of the Hollywood Hills Burglars. And so we’re greeted with a gang of rich, disaffected teens who aid their lifestyle by ransacking the homes of the rich and famous. Led by Rebecca (Katie Chang), and with Marc (Israel Broussard) and Nicki (Emma Watson) also playing key roles, they use Google to discover when the likes of Paris Hilton, Megan Fox and Lindsay Lohan are out of town… then crash their empty pads for clothes, accessories and rolls of cash. Hilariously, the celebs are portrayed as pretty dumb, with Hilton leaving her house keys under the mat, Orlando Bloom failing to lock up, and Fox inviting easy entry with an oversized dog flap. It’s all a great deal of fun and Coppola’s sweet script, like, literally nails the repetitive teen-speak - ‘OMG’s to these guys are like ‘fucks’ to Scorsese’s goodfellas – but the heady hedonism feels tame after Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers. And just as viewers never really feel the rush of the drugs, clubs and fast cars, they’ll also have a hard time empathising with any pain the protagonists are burying. Watson plays grown up and fucked up and does a decent job of it, but she, like the rest of the cast, lack the gravitas or soulfulness of Scarlett Johansson in Lost In Translation or Kirsten Dunst in The Virgin Suicides. The Bling Ring looks great and is fun while it lasts, but is ultimately not a great deal more profound than the celebrity culture it holds accountable for these wanton waifs.
  
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Leonardo DiCaprio talks Django Unchained: exclusive video
Thu, 16 May 2013 11:19:00 GMT
Leonardo DiCaprio was one of several astonishing supporting actors in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained.
As he was so deeply immersed in his character - despicable plantation owner Calvin Candie - DiCaprio didn’t participate in a great many interviews in the build-up to the film’s release.
So, when we were offered an exclusive video featurette taken from the upcoming Blu-ray release, we snapped it up - and you can watch it below.
In the clip, DiCaprio discusses everything from working with Tarantino, to comparing his character to Louis XIV, to playing opposite Samuel L. Jackson.
Watch the video interview below: Django Unchained hits Blu-ray and DVD on 20 May 2013. 
  
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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. producer says Luke Cage is not in the show
Thu, 16 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT
Ever since the first teaser footage was revealed for Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., rumours have begun to fly concerning which Marvel heroes might be making an appearance.
However, fans putting two and two together have apparently been coming up with five, particularly in the case of J. August Richards’ character, who had widely been assumed to be none other than Luke Cage.
Cage was one of the first African-American characters to head up his own comic-book, but according to show producer, Jeffrey Bell, that isn’t the part Richards is playing.
“It’s not the [character] people are talking about," says Bell. “Honestly, we were looking for this part, and we just said, 'Look, all our parts are open to all diversity.' So the fact that we have a black dude who is awesome and it's J, was just because he was the best actor. It wasn’t like, 'You know who…!'”
Back to the drawing board then, rumour-merchants. Perhaps we could start with just how Agent Coulson has managed to resurrect himself from the dead? That should keep you busy for a little while... 
  
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Shane Black explains his version of The Mandarin
Thu, 16 May 2013 06:40:00 GMT
Whether or not you were a fan of Ben Kingsley’s take on seminal Iron Man antagonist The Mandarin, there’s no denying that his portrayal provided one of the major talking points surrounding Iron Man 3.
For those who have yet to see the movie, turn back now, as the discussion gets a little spoilery from here on in...
While many were delighted by the switcheroo that revealed the fearsome terrorist to be a drug-addled old luvvie simply playing a part, others were predictably horrified by the diversion taken from the source material.
“I would say that we struggled to find a way to present a mythic terrorist that had something about him that registered after the movie’s over as having been a unique take, or a clever idea, or a way to say something of use,” says director Shane Black, defending the direction in which his film took the character.
“And what was of use about the Mandarin’s portrayal in this movie, to me, is that it offers up a way that you can sort of show how people are complicit in being frightened. They buy into things in the way that the audience for this movie buys into it.
“I think that’s a message that’s more interesting for the modern world,” continues Black, “because I think there’s a lot of fear that’s generated toward very available and obvious targets, which could perhaps be directed more intelligently at what’s behind them.”
For our money, Kingsley’s turn was always going to be a divisive one, but was undoubtedly one of the most entertaining parts of the film. And when an increasingly well-worn genre such as the superhero movie manages to surprise you, that’s surely something to be celebrated... For more spoiler-y Iron Man 3 discussion, check out the TF team's video below: 
  
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First red-band trailer for V/H/S/2: watch now
Thu, 16 May 2013 06:26:00 GMT
The first trailer for horror anthology follow-up V/H/S/2 has made its way online, and fans of the first film won’t be disappointed with the amount of blood, nudity and general mayhem contained in this first few minutes of footage.
Once again the carnage kicks of when an unsuspecting couple settle down to watch a bizarre collection of videotapes, each of which contains something more horrifying than the last.
From mass suicides to unnecessary surgery via a spectacularly exploding corpse, there’s something for everybody here. And by “everybody”, we mean gorehounds...
Take a look at the new trailer, below:
As was the case with the promotional push for the original, the trailer doesn’t give much sense of any of the individual plots, although it certainly provides an idea of the kind of scares that will be on offer!
With segments directed by the likes of Gareth Evans, Eduardo Sanchez, Adam Wingard and others, V/H/S/2 will open in the US on 6 June 2013, with a UK release date to be confirmed. 
  
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