Universal plans backup script for The Mummy Reboot
Universal are pushing ahead with their troubled plans for a reboot of The Mummy franchise in efforts to meet an unlikely deadline of having a finished film ready for their long planned 2014 release date.
Prometheus writer Jon Spaihts started work on the script last year, but the studio has now reportedly hired Hunger Games screenwriter Billy Ray to start work on another draft. It’s unclear whether they plan to somehow integrate the two versions or are expecting the writers to eventually collaborate on whichever version proves the most viable.
Regardless of who claims ultimate responsibility for the film’s script Len Wiseman will be required to direct it. Hopefully with slightly more critical and commercial success than his recent lackluster reboot of Total Recall.
Downton Abbey Star Set For Hollywood Action
Dan Stevens, best known as Matthew Crawley on superb period drama Downton Abbey is set to star alongside Liam Neeson in a new action thriller A Walk Among The Tombstones.
Liam Neeson will continue to demonstrate just how effective a killing tool he really is, playing a recovering alcoholic ex-cop hired to find the kidnapped wife of a drug dealer. The acclaimed dramatic actor is enjoying an unlikely second lease of life as a blockbuster action hero following the convincing success of Taken, Unknown and The Grey. Clearly he will continue to use his ‘certain set of skill’ until the world runs out of bad guys and wolves for him to beat to death with his bare hands.
It’s unclear which specific role Dan Stevens will be taking on, but he will certainly be hoping that it makes more of an impression that his recent flop vampire comedy effort Vamps.
Elle Style Awards 2013 Winners List
Last night Elle Magazine held their annual style awards at the Savoy hotel in London. This year’s guests included Bradley Cooper, Stella McCartney, Kate Hudson, Rosamund Pike, Ronnie Wood, Elizabeth Olsen, Chris Tucker, Nicholas Kirkwood and Juno Temple. Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw, hosted the ceremony, which also featured a performance by LesMiserables star Samantha Barks.
Full List of this year’s Elle Style Awards winners below:
Best Actor: Bradley Cooper (presented by Harvey Weinstein)
Best TV Show: Game Of Thrones (presented by Alice Eve)
Breakthrough Performance: Samantha Barks (presented by Ronnie Wood)
Next Future Icon: Chloë Moretz (presented by Chris Tucker)
Best Music Act: Emeli Sandé (presented and accepted by Andrea Riseborough)
Best Model: Anja Rubik
Best International Designer: Stella McCartney (presented by Kate Hudson)
Best British Designer of the Year: Christopher Kane (presented by Lorraine Candy and
Elizabeth Olsen)
Next Young Designer of the Year: Simone Rocha (presented by Arizona Muse)
Best Accessory Designer of the Year: Nicholas Kirkwood (presented by Rosamund
Pike)
Best Jewellery Designer of the Year: Gaia Repossi (presented by Amanda De Cadenet)
Contemporary Brand of the Year: Kristen McMenamy on behalf of McQueen (Sarah
Burton) (presented by Juno Temple)
Red Carpet Fashion: Roksanda Ilincic (presented by Naomie Harris)
Editors Choice: Alicia Vikander (presented by Lorraine Candy)
BAFTA Film Awards 2013 Winners List
Tonight a dazzling array of stars graced the red carpet for the EE British Academy Film Awards 2013. This year’s BAFTA bash saw the likes of Hugh Jackman, Martin Freeman, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Tom Hiddleston and Jennifer Lawrence gather for a ceremony celebrating a truly outstanding year in cinema.
Daniel Day-Lewis and Emmanuelle Riva landed the top acting prizes; while Anne Hathaway & Christoph Waltz took home honours in the supporting categories.
Argo won best film and best director, while Michael Haneke’s Amour unsurprisingly secured best foreign language film.
Full official list of winners below:
| BEST FILM |
| ARGO - Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck, George Clooney |
| OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM |
| SKYFALL - Sam Mendes, Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan |
| OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER |
| BART LAYTON (Director), DIMITRI DOGANIS (Producer)- The Imposter |
| DIRECTOR |
| ARGO - Ben Affleck |
| DOCUMENTARY |
| SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN - Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn |
| ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY |
| DJANGO UNCHAINED - Quentin Tarantino |
| ADAPTED SCREENPLAY |
| SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK - David O. Russell |
| FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE |
| AMOUR - Michael Haneke, Margaret Ménégoz |
| ANIMATED FILM |
| BRAVE - Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman |
| LEADING ACTOR |
| DANIEL DAY-LEWIS - Lincoln |
| LEADING ACTRESS |
| EMMANUELLE RIVA - Amour |
| SUPPORTING ACTOR |
| CHRISTOPH WALTZ - Django Unchained |
| SUPPORTING ACTRESS |
| ANNE HATHAWAY - Les Misérables |
| ORIGINAL MUSIC |
| SKYFALL - Thomas Newman |
| CINEMATOGRAPHY |
| LIFE OF PI - Claudio Miranda |
| EDITING |
| ARGO - William Goldenberg |
| PRODUCTION DESIGN |
| LES MISÉRABLES - Eve Stewart, Anna Lynch-Robinson |
| COSTUME DESIGN |
| ANNA KARENINA - Jacqueline Durran |
| SOUND |
| LES MISÉRABLES - Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, Jonathan Allen, Lee Walpole, John Warhurst |
| SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS |
| LIFE OF PI - Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer |
| MAKE UP & HAIR |
| LES MISÉRABLES - Lisa Westcott |
| SHORT ANIMATION |
| THE MAKING OF LONGBIRD - Will Anderson, Ainslie Henderson |
| SHORT FILM |
| SWIMMER - Lynne Ramsay, Peter Carlton, Diarmid Scrimshaw
|
| EE RISING STAR AWARD |
| Juno Temple |
Wreck It Ralph Review
The Plot
A computer game bad guy who feels unappreciated by his fellow characters goes on an adventure throughout the arcade in the search for a way to prove that for once he can be the hero. Along the way he inadvertently causes havoc in other games and makes his first real friend.
The Good
Wreck It Ralph is essentially Toy Story for computer game characters, further exploring the secret lives of much beloved childhood playthings. The inclusion of familiar real characters from long running game series like Super Mario Bros, Streetfighter and Sonic the Hedgehog gives the film a welcome authenticity. Seasoned gamers will also enjoy the plentiful excuses for 8 bit nostalgia.
The new characters and gameworlds created specifically for the movie all feel convincing and are impressively well crafted. Much of the adventure takes place in ‘Sugar Rush’ a candy coated racing game which is deliciously colourful and adorably sweet. The film manages to integrate retro graphics and glossy CGI in effective ways, delivering both enjoyable visuals and energetic action sequences.
Wreck It Ralph also has at least one secret weapon; with Glee star Jane Lynch providing the voice of a battle hardened space warrior from a monstrous shoot ‘em up game. Much like her Glee character Sue Sylvester, she provides the film with a steady stream of trash talk that’s sure to raise a smile. John C. Reilly is also a good fit for the film’s titular ‘hero’ Ralph, having perfected his routine as an underappreciated lumbering sidekick in films like Talladega Nights, Chicago and Boogie Nights.
The Bad
Walt Disney acquired a great deal of technical expertise in CGI animation when they consumed animation rivals Pixar. However while Wreck It Ralph may look like a Pixar movie, it still lacks some of the emotional core and elusive magic of a true Pixar film.
The film never quite captures the heart-breaking sentimentality of the first ten minutes of UP or the last ten minutes of Toy Story 3. Younger audiences likely won’t tell the difference, but grown up’s certainly will. Wreck It Ralph doesn’t quite have the multi-layered genius of Pixar’s finest work but is more on a par with the Cars franchise; with both relying on bright colours and children’s innate interests to deliver a fairly generic message that ‘it’s okay to be yourself’.
Comedienne turned actress Sarah Silverman divides opinions intensely; her cringe-worthy comedy charms are loved by some but loathed by others. Pouring much of her own personality into pint size pixelated character Vanellope Von Schweetz will either amuse or simply irritate audiences. Young kids are perhaps likely to be more tolerant of her shrill nasal voice and liberal use of words like stinky and booger.
The Ugly Truth
Wreck It Ralph is an easily watchable animated adventure that will particularly delight younger children and anyone with particularly fond memories of arcade gaming. Although a lack of clever subtext and Sarah Silverman’s noisy presence may mean that grownups find it a little less enchanting than a Pixar instant classic.
Wreck It Ralph Cast Video Interviews Below: