film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Author: Alton Williams

  • Joe Quesada Loves Chris Evans


    Marvel boss Joe Quesada is thrilled Chris Evans has been hired to play comic book superhero Captain America on the big screen – calling the Fantastic Four actor the “perfect” choice.

    The race to land the coveted role has been a two-year marathon, with many comic book fans urging movie chiefs to sign up Mad Men star Jon Hamm for the lead.

    Some critics have slammed the decision to hire Evans, insisting the 28-year-old actor is too young to play Captain America, but the comic giant’s editor-in-chief is adamant he’s the best man for the job.

    Quesada tells Comic Book Resources, “Here you have a guy who absolutely embodies every aspect of Cap (Captain America), including the look and feel of the character. (Producer) Kevin Feige was absolutely beaming after meeting with Chris and seeing what he could do, and I’ve got to tell you, I think he’s perfect as well.

    “That to me is the beauty of the movies that we at Marvel produce. We know the characters better than anyone outside of our fans, and we know how important it is to cast just that right person. We aren’t a bunch of Hollywood execs who don’t understand the source material or its history.

    “It’s Marvel guys and gals making Marvel movies, and that’s a huge difference.”

    © BRWC 2010.

  • Gervais/Hoskins

    Ricky Gervais was left fuming after reading his recent interview with men’s magazine GQ – because the article opened with a wrongly attributed quote from Bob Hoskins.

    The Office creator spent an hour being interviewed by a journalist from the publication to publicise his upcoming film Cemetery Junction.

    But the star was left aghast when he read the story’s introduction, which incorrectly accredited a quote to him made famous by Hoskins.

    In a post on his official blog, Gervais writes, “I did an interview for GQ magazine. We talked for some time. The journalist even taped it. What could go wrong? I’ll tell you what can go wrong. They introduce the piece with this quote; ‘Ricky Gervais once said “I came to this business uneducated, 5’6”, dyslexic, with a face like a squashed cabbage. And they welcomed me with open arms’.

    “No he f**king didn’t! Why the f**k would he? He came to this business with a f**king degree in Philosophy, not dyslexic, 5’8” with a face like… OK the last bit is fine. But the rest is b**locks and I never said it.

    “Where did they get that from? Why didn’t they ask me if I said that when we were in the same c**ting room for a b**tard hour?

    “I put the quote into Google. I found this; ‘I came into this business uneducated, dyslexic, 5ft 6in, cubic, with a face like a squashed cabbage and they welcomed me with open arms.’ Actor Bob Hoskins.

    “How f**king hard was that?”

    © BRWC 2010.

  • Blanchett Movie

    Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh made a low budget movie last year based on Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett and her husband Andrew Upton.

    The filmmaker directed a play called Tot Mom at the Sydney Theatre Company, where Blanchett and Upton are joint artistic directors, and invited the cast to test their acting skills in front of the cameras in a secret side project.

    The improvised comedic film, titled The Last Time I Saw Michael Gregg, tells the story of a glamorous couple who run a theatre company in Australia and is said to have been based on Blanchett and her husband.

    A spokesman for the Sydney Theatre Company says, “It’s something the cast did while they were making the play. It was just a bit of fun between the cast and Steven.”

    Blanchett praised Soderbergh for giving the actors some filmmaking experience, adding: “How great that the actors got a taste of working on a film with one of the true masters. You can tell everyone had a good time with it and it was the perfect way to balance the intensity of working on the play.”

    © BRWC 2010.

  • UK Film Council 15Mil

    The UK Film Council has announced plans for an annual fund for the development of new movies, worth £15m.

    The funds will be available to both established and emerging talent, the organisation has said.

    A new national web-based talent pool has been proposed for the homegrown film industry, which could uncover the next big star of UK cinema.

    The Film Council made its new proposal after its long-term budget was slimmed down by £25m.

    The organisation’s new financial plans have also allocated £5m to an innovation fund, which will be announced later in the year.

    Money to help the export of UK films abroad, amounting to £500,00 each year, has also been secured.

    Tim Bevan, chairman of the UK Film Council, said it had a “renewed mission” and “a new set of priorities”.

    “With the right level of support, a successful British film industry can continue to help get the UK out of recession, drive innovation and create more highly-skilled jobs.”

    But Mr Bevan admitted that “further tough choices lie ahead” after the Film Council substantially cut running costs.

    The film fund has opened to new applications from today, while more details about the talent pool will be released later in the year.

    © BRWC 2010.

  • Give It A Rest Lucas!?

    A new animated Star Wars series is being developed by Star Wars creator George Lucas.

    Animators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, who were behind hit parody sketch show Robot Chicken, will team up for the Lucasfilm Animation production.

    “The Star Wars universe is so dense and rich,” Green said.

    The series follows on from Lucasfilm Animation’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which focuses on the Jedi Knights’ struggle to maintain order.

    The animation show, which airs on Cartoon Network, is now in its second series.

    But the newly developed series will have a more comedic and irreverent tone.

    “What do these characters do when they’re not overthrowing empires?” Green said.

    “We’re going to pull back the curtain of some of those behind-the-scenes shenanigans,” added Senreich.

    George Lucas’s Lucasfilm company is considered a world leader in animation techniques.

    No US television network has yet been linked to the latest Star Wars series.

    © BRWC 2010.