I almost can't take this news. The brothers Coen -- Joel and Ethan -- are among the best filmmakers out there. This isn't opinion; it is a fact, supported by such stellar efforts as "The Big Lebowski," "A Serious Man" and the Oscar-winning adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel, "No Country For Old Men." So when the news broke last month that they'd be directing a new take on Chris Portis' novel "True Grit," I was beside myself.
MTV's Josh Horowitz caught up with the duo later in September, in one of their only solo interviews of the Toronto International Film Festival. There they confirmed that Jeff Bridges, previously revealed to be playing Rooster Cogburn, would indeed be wearing his character's eyepatch, like John Wayne before him. "That'd be like doing Richard II without the limp," Joel said. He also revealed the source of the adaptation: "We’re not looking at the movie. It’s a great book. It’s a very funny book." Read more...
He’s made movies about pornographers and serial killers, tortured ‘Nam soldiers and tortured ‘Nam vets, assassinated presidents and disgraced presidents. But to hear Oliver Stone tell it, his last film might have been his riskiest.
“I’m lucky to have survived,” the Oscar-winning director told MTV on the eve of the DVD release of 2008’s George Bush biopic “W.” “It was a movie that was dangerous to make.” What could be risky about depicting a sitting president, dramatizing events still fresh—and sometimes painful—in viewers’ minds and hustling crazily to release the film less than a month before the election? Oh, right. “It could have gotten killed,” Stone went on. “We survived the onslaught.” Read more...
FROM SPLASH PAGE: Sure, the comics scene has been buzzing since Warner Bros. announced that its big-screen adaptation of edgy DC Comics series "Jonah Hex" would be directed by Jimmy Hayward of "Horton Hears a Who" -- but what does Josh Brolin, the actor likely to star in the film, think about the new guy behind the camera?
Read more about Josh Brolin's comments on the new "Jonah Hex" director at SplashPage.MTV.com.
It's hard to imagine how 2009 could be a bigger year for Josh Brolin than his awesome '08. Between "W." and "Milk" he's banged out two performances that could very conceivably earn his Oscar's attention. So how do you follow it up? Well you probably strap on some guns for "Jonah Hex" as Brolin told us the other day. And you very nearly star in the latest "Terminator" movie apparently.
Way back in February "Terminator Salvation" director McG made an interesting aside in an interview about the casting of his new flick that got a lot of us talking here and around the web. When asked who would make his ideal Terminator in the new film, McG said "Josh Brolin is a very exciting actor - we'll see." Brolin of course wasn't cast but now it's clear from my recent conversation with Josh that it did indeed almost come to be.
"Yeah. I talked to Christian [Bale] for a couple hours," he said. "I really liked the script though I hear that’s not what they filmed. The one I read was very interesting and dark. Ultimately though I didn’t think it felt right." Read more...
FROM SPLASH PAGE: Sure, the years worth of behind-the-scenes drama surrounding "Watchmen" is an epic story in itself, but lately it seems as though an adaptation of DC Comics' "Jonah Hex" is starting to give it a run for its money.
This morning, Variety broke the news that due to "creative differences," Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have officially dropped out as directors for the in-early-development, big screen adaptation of "Jonah Hex" -- DC's resident post-apocalyptic, anti-hero cowboy. And while we could speculate all day as to what those "differences" were, the writing was on the wall when we spoke to Josh Brolin a few days ago, the actor who's had an on-again, off-again attachment to the lead role of Hex.
"When I first read it I thought, oh my God it’s awful!" Brolin exclaimed to MTV News. "And then I had a moment a week later and I thought why is it awful? Maybe the thing to do is to do the most awful movie I can find."
Read more of Josh Brolin's thoughts about "Jonah Hex" at SplashPage.MTV.com.
This weekend, moviegoers will hope to escape the economy, the war, and other real-life problems brought about after 8 years of George W. Bush by going to see a movie about…George W. Bush? But before you head out to see Josh Brolin’s award-worthy transformation into our 43rd President, it’s intriguing to contemplate the notion that Batman, John Connor, Patrick Bateman and W. all nearly shared the same face.
When director Oliver Stone first set out to make his biopic “W.,” he cast none other than Christian Bale in the role. Yep, you read that right. Read more...
Reporting by Josh Horowitz
Long before Sarah Palin was talking crazy or banks were going out of business faster than “We Sell it on eBay” stores, a truly bizarre political scandal erupted in 1970’s San Francisco, changing politics forever. We’ve already written extensively about the December release “Milk," and when we recently caught up with super-producer/Focus Features Co-President James Schamus, he promised that our enthusiasm over the Sean Penn biopic was justified.
“He’s just channeling him; it’s crazy. He is Harvey Milk,” Schamus said of the Oscar-winner’s performance as America’s first openly-gay politician. “Go online and look at Harvey Milk and look at the trailer, and it’s like we hired Harvey Milk.”
Co-starring Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch and James Franco (who reportedly shares a kissing scene with Penn), the film tells the true tale of a larger-than-life man who ran for office seeking tolerance and equality, then became a martyr for the gay movement after being shot down by a Twinkie-loving madman. Read more...
By and large I love me some Oliver Stone. I will defend just about all of his work except for "Alexander". But even I am not sure what to make of his take on the life and times of George W. Bush. "W." opens in just over a month (check out full Fall movie preview here) and each glimpse me leaves me simultaneously intrigued and skeptical. Will Oliver pull off something special? Your guess is as good as mine. In the meantime, here's an exclusive image.
- Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Bastards” to be two films. (AICN)
- Thomas Jane wants to be Jonah Hex, has his fanboy enthusiasm spilled all over the web. (Film School Rejects)
- “Son of Rambow” star Will Poulter cast in central role of Eustace in “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.” (NarniaWeb)
- New, more action oriented trailers for “Wall-E” and “The Mummy” hit the web. (IGN & Rob Cohen)
- Could Josh Brolin be the next Snake Plissken? Brush up on your French to find out. (Spielberg News)
