Monday, April 30, 2012

TONI COLLETTE & DEV PATEL IN "DEFIANT"! NEW FILM VERSIONS OF KIPLING'S "THE JUNGLE BOOK" & GAIMAN'S "THE GRAVEYARD BOOK"! TRAILER FOR PAUL RUDD'S "THIS IS 40" COMEDY FILM!

 One of the most talented actresses out there, amazing Toni Collette has been  mentioned a lot recently since she's got four new roles(in ALFRED HITCHCOCK AND THE MAKING OF PSYCHO she plays the director's assistant next to Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren, in THE WAY, WAY BACK she will star next to Steve Carell, there are also MISS YOU ALREADY with Jennifer Aniston and LONG WAY DOWN with Pierce Brosnan ), and now she has a brand new one: according to "Variety" she will join young Dev Patel in DEFIANT, a Bill Bennett's thriller set in the world of "honor" killings in India. Based on true events, the story centres on two young lovers in India on the run from their parents who want to kill them because they want to marry against their wishes. When an Emmy winning journalist sets out after them to cover the story, she risks her own life to try and save them. Collette will star as the journalist and Patel will portray one of the lovers. The film will shoot in North India with principal photography slated to begin in late October.
HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES
Since it is a huge movie trend to shoot films based on classic novels (ANNA KARENINA with Jude Law and Aaron Johnson, LES
MISERABLES with Hugh Jackman, Eddie Redmayne, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and THERESE RAQUIN which started shooting last week in Serbia with Jessica Lange and Oscar Isaac), Warner Bross. is planning a live action movie adaptation of famous THE JUNGLE BOOK by Rudyard Kipling. The story, which follows a brave boy Mowgli who grew up and lives in a jungle alongside wild animals, will be directed by Steve Kloves who previously directed THE FAMOUS BAKER BOYS and who also did screenplays for all HARRY PLOPPER films. It is interesting that Disney
has, at the same time, bought the film rights on THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman, which brings a spin on Kipling's classic by focusing on a boy who wasn't raised by animals in a jungle like Mowgli, but by ghosts at a graveyard.

THIS IS 40 TRAILER
Universal has released the first trailer for new comedy THIS IS 40 coming to cinemas this December. Directed by Judd Apatow and starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, the film depicts the cruel
nature of middle age. It's a kind of a sequel to KNOCKED UP from a few years ago since it gives us a look of Pete and Debbie's life a few years after the events from the previous film. The cast also includes Megan Fox, Jason Segel, John Litgow, Melissa McCarthy...

Sunday, April 29, 2012

HOLLYWOOD SPY SPOTLIGHT ON "JACK THE GIANT KILLER" EPIC FANTASY WITH NICHOLAS HOULT, EWAN MCGREGOR, IAN MCSHANE, BILL NIGHY, STANLEY TUCCI

You've probably noticed that the trend of getting famous fairy tales adapted into movies is very dominant currently in Hollywood. We've already seen ALICE IN WONDERLAND, MIRROR MIRROR, RAPUNZEL, HANSEL AND GRETEL are ready to premiere next year, while a number of other projects on SNOW WHITE, CINDERELLA, LITTLE MERMAID are waiting to get into production or to get into cinemas. Definitely one of the more adventurous treats of this kind will be fantasy epic JACK THE GIANT KILLER ready to hit the big screens next year.

 THE GIANT STORY
Based on the famous fairy tale JACK AND THE GIANT BEAN, fantasy movie JACK THE GIANT KILLER tells the story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway
between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack, into the battle of his life
to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend, and gets the chance to become a legend himself.
THE GIANT CAST
Directed by Bryan Singer with a screenplay by Darren Lemke and Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney, the film stars Nicholas Hoult (WARM BODIES, X-MEN FIRST CLASS) in the lead role of young Jack. Eleanor Tomlinson (ALICE IN WONDERLAND, THE
ILLUSIONIST) stars as the brave princess Isabelle who is blasted to the land of the giants when the beanstalk spouts. British superstar Ewan McGregor plays Elmont, the head of the elite royal guard. Ian McShane (THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, PIRATES OF THE
CARIBBEAN) stars as King Brahmwell, the princess' father, who is none too thrilled about a union between his daughter and a farmer boy, while Bill Nighy and John Kassir star as Fallon, the two-headed leader of the giants. Nighy plays the big head and Kassir plays the smaller head.
Stanley Tucci appears in the film as Lord Roderick, an adviser to the king with designs on usurping power. Australian star Daniel Lapaine (MURRIEL'S WEDDING) will play Jack's dad.

THE GIANT TIDBITS
The film was originally supposed to open this June alongside Ridley Scott's PROMETHEUS and this year's biggest animated adventure BRAVE, but since that would be too risky and since the first trailer was faced with the bad comments from always shallow and irresponsible
fanboys, Warner Bros. had decided to push the premiere of Bryan Singer's fantasy epic to March 2013. Aaron Johnson was the first choice for the role of Jack, while Juno Temple was supposed to play the princess. Lily Collins also screen tested for the role, but ended up
playing Snow White in another fairy tale MIRROR MIRROR. The film features a number of truly horrid hairdos, from the one on Nicholas Hoult to the one on Eddie Marsan.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

COLIN FARRELL, LUKE EVANS, LIAM HEMSWORTH FOR THE LEAD IN "WINTER'S TALE"? TRAILER FOR "HICK" WITH EDDIE REDMAYNE & BLAKE LIVELY! BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH GETS BULKY FOR "STAR TREK 2" VILLAIN ROLE

While you impatiently wait for STAR TREK II which will appear on the big screens May next year, you might find it interesting to know that British star Benedict Cumberbatch (from BBC's SHERLOCK),
who is playing the villain role in the new adventures of the Enterprise space crew, has revealed that he has bulked up his previously lanky body and has grown two suit sizes. This means that everybody who thought he might be too thin for a scary nemesis, can now rest assured that Cumberbatch will have a muscly physique in the long awaited sf sequel. The film will again star Chris Pine, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, John Cho. You already know, that beside this sf role, we shall see, or hear, Cumberbatch this December in the fantasy epic of the decade - THE HOBBIT in which he plays a double role: he will lend his voice to Smaug, one of the last great dragons of Middle-earth who attacked the Dwarf kingdom of Erebor driving out the Dwarves and taking all of the treasure. He will also voice the Necromancer Ruler of the stronghold of Dol Guldur in southern Mirkwood.More about that in our extensive spotlight on THE HOBBIT cast!

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES
One of the upcoming films which already has quite a strong cast, OUT OF THE FURNACE, has just landed Willem Dafoe. He will join Christian Bale, Zoe Saldana, Casey Affleck, Woody
Harrelson in the story about an ex-con who attempts to blend into his new surroundings in an Indiana town, but is haunted by a figure from his past, as "MovieWeb" reports today. Meanwhile, Irish hunk Colin Farrell, who is awaiting the premier of TOTAL RECALL remake later this year, might join WINTER'S TALE in the lead role, next to Will Smith and Russell Crowe. The complex fantasy story is set in both the 19th Century and present-day Manhattan and Colin would play a thief on the run who, when breaking into a wealthy man’s home, strikes up a relationship with the man’s terminally ill daughter. He later learns that he possesses the gift of reincarnation, and becomes determined to save her life.
Tom Hiddleston and Lily Collins are wanted for the roles in the film as well, and if Farrell doesn't get the role, Akiva Goldsman, the director, will try to negotiate with Welsh star Luke Evans, Liam Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker and Aaron Johnson (they all sound like better choices to me than Farrell).

The only trailer I have for you today is for dramatic comedy HICK which hits cinemas this May, so it's weird that this is the first trailer we see. A rather interesting and gorgeous cast, including Chloe Moretz,
Blake Lively, Eddie Redmayne, Alec Baldwin, Juliette Lewis, Anson Mount, Rory Culkin, stars in the story of a small town teen
Luli who escapes to Las Vegas, leaving behind her alcoholic and abusive parents. Armed with her smarts, a pistol and pocket money, she hitch-
hikes her way west. Along the way, Luli crosses paths with Eddie , an unstable rebel with questionable motives and Glenda , a cocaine-snorting drifter on the run.

Friday, April 27, 2012

CHRISTINA RICCI IS THE EVIL SMURFETTE! TRAILER FOR MERYL STREEP'S & TOMMY LEE JONES' "HOPE SPRINGS"! NEW PICS FROM "LIFE OF PI" & "BRAVE"! SAOIRSE RONAN OFFICIALLY IN "NOAH"

Last year's animated flick THE SMURFS has become quite a hit around the world, and as I announced before the sequel is planned for 2013. A fresh update on the production over at "The Hollywood Reporter" says that Christina Ricci will lend her voice to Vexi, an evil version of Smurfette, who will again get her voice from that horrid screeching tart Katy Perry. It is also expected that Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria will be in the cast again.  Meanwhile, Paramount has officially confirmed that Saoirse Ronan has joined Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly in dark Biblical epic NOAH and it was revealed that it will be a big, robust production of tremendous scale with the budget being at rather stunning $125 million.


HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES
The first photo from Ang Lee's upcoming movie adaptation of famous LIFE OF PI novel is here. Ready to be released this December, the movie revolves around Pi Patel (young Suraj Sharma), who shares a
lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, a hyena, an injured zebra, and an orangutan after a shipwreck. All animals in the film are CGI, which makes this picture even more amazing, since the tiger looks
extremely realistic. The film will also star Tobey Maguire and Gerard Depardieu. Speaking of cute animals, Pixar has released new pictures from this year's biggest animated adventure BRAVE showing three
adorable little bears whom Merida comes upon during her mission, and there's also the picture of their mother trying to save Merida from a hole.

And your trailer for today is the first adorable one for the upcoming comedy drama HOPE SPRINGS with Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones
which will hit cinemas this August: Many years of marriage have left Maeve (Meryl Streep) wanting to spice things up and reconnect with her husband. When she hears of a famed relationship guru (Steve Carell) in the town of Great Hope Springs, she must persuade her skeptical husband (Tommy Lee Jones) to get on a plane for an intense week of marriage and sex therapy. Getting there was hard enough... Now shedding their bedroom hang ups, learning some new moves and rediscovering their youthful spark is when the real adventure begins.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

TRAILER FOR "LAWLESS" WITH SHIA LABEOUF, TOM HARDY, GUY PEARCE, GARY OLDMAN! ARMIE HAMMER, BEN KINGSLEY, JOHN MALKOVITCH IN "CUT BANK"! TONI COLLETTE JOINS JENNIFER ANISTON IN "MISS YOU ALREADY" & PIERCE BROSNAN IN "LONG WAY DOWN"

Now here's quite a rich cast: "Variety" reports today that Armie Hammer, Ben Kingsley, Michael Sheen, Teresa Palmer and John Malkovitch have all joined the cast of CUT BANK. The unusual script of the movie, which was on the famous Black list of the most intriguing plots, is set in Cut Bank, Montana, and centres on a mechanic and an ex-football player who try to get out of the small town, which they discover is frozen in time. As you know Armie Hammer has recently had a role of prince in MIRROR MIRROR and will appear next to Johnny Depp in THE LONE RANGER in the lead role. Ben Kingsley has IRON MAN III to do next year and ARABIAN NIGHTS with Liam Hemsworth, while Teresa Palmer will appear next to Nicholas Hoult in zombie love story WARM BODIES, which also stars the above mentioned John Malkovitch.

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES
We mentioned amazingly talented Australian star Toni Collette last week when she got the role in THE WAY, WAY BACK next to Steve Carell, and now she has some new gigs too: according to "Variety"
she might star in MISS YOU ALREADY next to Jennifer Aniston, as two best friends whose bond weakens when the one played by Aniston discovers she has breast cancer while the other friend played by Collette prepares for the birth of her first child while her husband is away on business. The other project LONG WAY DOWN is based on Nick Hornby's novel of the same name, which centres around four strangers contemplating suicide from the same rooftop on New Year's Eve. Collette will probably play the single mother of a young man with disabilities alongside talk show host played by Pierce Brosnan, who looks to take advantage of the situation for his own gain.

The trailer of the day for you is the first one for this year's LAWLESS flick ready to premiere this August. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce, Gary Oldman and formerly known as THE WETTEST COUNTY IN THE WORLD, the story of the film is set in the Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, and follows a bootlegging
gang which is threatened by authorities who want a cut of their profits. It is interesting that Amy Adams and Scarlett Johansson were the first female choices in the film, but the film had problems getting into production, so they both left leaving the job to two much weaker actresses Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikovska. Ryan Gosling was originally planned for the role which later on went to Tom Hardy.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

CAST FOR NEW SF SHOW "DEFIANCE" REVEALED! ABBEY LEE KERSHAW JOINS TOM HARDY & CHARLIZE THERON IN "MAD MAX FURY ROAD"! SF BESTSELLER "THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO" GETS MOVIE ADAPTATION!

As Australian "Daily Telegraph" reports supermodel Abbey Lee Kershaw is replacing gorgeous Teresa Palmer in MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, due to constant delays of the production. The complex and expensive film (there were talks that it will cost around $100 million) should finally start shooting later this year. The fourth part of the famous saga, directed by George Miller will have Tom Hardy in the lead role and Charlize Theron as Furiosa, a one armed warrior lady. Since the story is again set in a post-apocalyptic world, women, especially beautiful women, are scarce, so men have been locking them up in cages (I'm shocked, just as you are), and Abbey will be one of them. Young star Nicholas Hoult (X-MEN FIRST CLASS, JACK THE GIANT KILLER) should also be the part of the cast.

HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES
 One of the more interesting of the upcoming TV pilots, SyFy's sf project DEFIANCE is quickly adding cast members so that the shooting of the pilot could start later this April in Canada. According to "Digital Spy" the story, set in a futuristic world ravaged by war between humans and aliens, will follow Jeb Nolan (Grant Bowler from TRUE
BLOOD), law-keeper in the town of Defiance, a burgeoning place which becomes caught up in the global conflict. "Vampire Diaries" star Mia Kirshner will play Kenya, the sassy and confident "town madam". "Lost" actress Fionnula Flanagan will also appear in DEFIANCE as Nicky, the former mayor of Defiance, serving as a mentor to her successor Amanda, played by "Dexter"'s Julie Benz.

Meanwhile, "Deadline" reports today of another sf project: the first book of Patrick Ness' "Chaos Walking" trilogy  titled
THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO will get a movie adaptation over at Lionsgate and it will possibly develop into a film franchise. The story is set in a future where humans are trying to colonize a planet similar to Earth. A bizarre infection known as The Noise spreads throughout the planet, which makes all human thought audible. When a corrupt dictator threatens to take control of civilization, a young boy named Todd Hewitt is the only one who can prevent the planet's complete devastation.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

HOLLYWOOD SPY'S BEST TV HUNKS ARE "ONCE UPON A TIME" JOSH DALLAS AND DAVID OAKES FROM "THE BORGIAS"!

 Our long poll on BEST TV HUNK is over, my dear readers, and after a month of voting and with hundreds of votes, the proud winner is amazing Josh Dallas with 20% of your votes, while David Oakes took
second spot (19%). The two of them were followed by Kit Harington (11%), Jim Caviezel (11%),  Liam McIntyre (9%) and Bradley James (8%)!

JOSH DALLAS
Amazing angel eyes fella Josh Dallas has literally appeared from nowhere and immediately seduced millions of fans with his warm charisma, kind nature and mesmerizing looks. No wonder he got the role of Prince Charming in planetary popular fantasy show ONCE UPON A TIME in which he shines every week with his trustworthy and believable portrayal of the prince looking for his Snow White and of a regular guy lost in Storybrooke where he is trying to find his true love. Charm is what he has in tones. Beside the magnificent role in ONCE UPON A TIME, Josh also played the brave swordsman Fandral in last year's blockbuster THOR next to Chris Hemsworth, and will play it again in a sequel to the film. Last year we also saw him in George Lucas'WWII epic RED TAILS, and before that he had guest roles in
DOCTOR WHO, HAWAII FIVE O, CSI... Before his Hollywood career, Josh spent almost ten years in London being a member of many renowned theatre companies such as Royal National Theatre, The English National Opera, The New Shakespeare Company... He got offered the Fandral role in THOR by Kenneth Branagh only five days after returning to the United States.

DAVID THE NAUGHTY
I'm proud to say that HOLLYWOOD SPY was one of the first sites to follow, notice and write about brilliant David Oakes. Although THE PILLARS OF THE
EARTH was filled with young stars which will later on become popular (Eddie Redmayne, Sam Claflin), David has used his chance and managed to shine himself too in the role of evil and ambitious William Hamleig whose morbid relationship with his own, equally ambitious, mother brings him doom. He was noticed in that role and got an even bigger one in THE BORGIAS, in which he still plays the superficial pope's son Juan Borgia. Beside sharing stunning looks with the above mentioned Josh Dallas, another thing the two of them share is their theatrical career. He has performed in Globe Theatre and the Old Vic. Not sure how is that possible, but he is mentioned in the cast of THE PILLARS OF
THE EARTH follow up, WORLD WITHOUT END in which he is supposed to play Bishop Henry in a cameo role. He is from Britain and has an MA in English and Drama. It is interesting that his father is a Canon of Salisbury Cathedral, the Cathedral that provided much of the source material for "The Pillars of the Earth"!

REESE WITHERSPOON IN "WISH LIST", "MUD", "DEVIL'S KNOT" & "BIG EYES"! LIAM CUNNINGHAM JOINS "MERLIN" SEASON 5! CLIP FROM "CHEERFUL WEATHER FOR THE WEDDING" BRITISH PERIOD COMEDY

One of Reese Witherspoon's future projects, fantasy comedy WISH LIST has finally found its director: according to "The Hollywood Reporter" the movie, scheduled for a 2013 release, will be helmed by BRIDESMAIDS director Paul Feig. The script will see Reese playing a business woman whose all childhood wishes she ever wished suddenly start coming true one by one. Reese is, outside this fun project, trying to take a more serious turn in her career so she has two tough dramas ahead of her: MUD in which Matthew McConaughey will play her soul mate, a charismatic fugitive from the law who is trying to find her with the help of a fourteen year old boy, and DEVIL'S KNOT, in which she will star beside Colin Firth, in a story about three children who were savagely murdered in 1993. Weeks later, police announced the arrest of three teens accused of committing the murders as part of a satanic cult ritual. She will also appear in BIG EYES, next
to Ryan Reynolds. The film explores the relationship between painter Margaret Keane and her husband, Walter, who took credit for her work. He lived the high life while she toiled in relative anonymity in the Bay Area.
HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES
And here are some new casting updates from the shooting of BBC's MERLIN fifth season, which was, as you remember, ordered even before the fourth one was aired last Autumn since MERLIN is the show aired in the biggest number of countries around the world. The fifth season, currently being shot in UK, will air from September and beside
Colin Morgan and Bradley Jamesin the lead roles of Merlin and king Arthur (you remember that he became the king in the last season), the cast will also have GAME OF THRONES Liam Cunningham, and "Digital Spy" reports that guest stars Lindsay Duncan (Queen Annis) and Janet Montgomery (Princess Mithian) will also be returning in the new run of the show. Although the show was originally planned to
have five seasons, it could continue with the sixth one as well, if the show remains popular after the fans were deeply disappointed with Arthur marrying horrible Gwen in the last season and her becoming the queen of Camelot. GAME OF THRONES second season, for example, has been losing viewers in UK with each episode since the premiere earlier this month.

The only clip I have for you today is for British comedy drama CHEERFUL WEATHER FOR THE WEDDING. Plot Summary: England, 1932. Today is the wedding day of Dolly Thatcham (Felicity Jones), and her family is arriving at the manor house with all the cheerfulness, chaos and grievances that bubble to the surface at such gatherings. Trouble soon appears in the shape of Joseph (Luke
Treadaway), Dolly's lover from the previous summer, who throws her feelings into turmoil. Dolly's mother (Elizabeth McGovern) will not allow her carefully laid plans for her daughter's future to be threatened, and as the clock ticks, the bride can't decide whether to run away with Joseph or start a new life in Argentina with her husband-to-be.
Your Spy will be out of town tomorrow, so I might be a bit late in responding to your comments and in posting the results of our TV HUNK poll, so be patient, my little freaks :)

Monday, April 23, 2012

CASSANDRA CLAIRE'S & HOLLY BLACK'S "THE IRON TRIAL" GETS A FILM ADAPTATION! KEVIN ZEGERS & LAURENCE FISHBURNE IN "THE COLONY" SF FILM! DC COMICS' "LOBO" GETTING HIS OWN FILM

You know  how your Spy loves apocalyptic stories set in some impossible surroundings. Beside THE SNOW PIERCER with Chris Evans, Jamie Bell and Octavia Spencer, it seems we are getting another such apocalyptic winter set project:  THE COLONY, currently being shot in Canada, with Kevin Zegers, Bill Paxton and Laurence Fishburne, is set beneath the icy surface, where survivors of Colony Seven struggle as food supplies dwindle and temperatures continue to drop. Plagued by illness and internal conflict, the colonists suspect the worst when they mysteriously lose contact with Colony Five - the only other known settlement. Sam, a strong-willed mechanic with a tragic past, joins a team headed up by Briggs on a dangerous expedition to find out what happened. After a hellish trek, they discover a threat much worse than imagined, and now Colony Seven must win a savage battle to preserve the last of humanity. The film is set for next year release.
HOLLYWOOD SPY HEADLINES
As you've probably noticed, Hollywood has taken teens as their target audience and thus we get either morbidly dark flicks for puberty boys or shallow Twilight flicks for girls. Yet, another movie adaptation in the long line of YA novel adaptations will be the one for THE IRON TRIAL. It is an interesting one, since the book hasn't even been released yet, it is scheduled for 2014, and it will be a five book saga
written together by two authors who already have their respective YA bestsellers - Holly Black (whose SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES have already been made into a film) and Cassandra Claire (whose THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS are awaiting their film version with Lily Collins). Here's the official plot of their new saga: In this exciting new series, twelve-year-old Callum Hunt has grown up knowing three rules
by heart. Never trust a magician. Never pass a test a magician gives you. And never let a magician take you to the Magisterium. Callum is about to break all the rules. And when he does, his life will change in ways he can't possibly imagine.

And here's a nice piece of news for all of you who love comic books and super heroes. "Movie Web" reported this weekend that Warner Bros. and DC Comics will collaborate on the movie adaptation of DC's popular comic hero LOBO. The character is an interstellar bounty hunter and mercenary who travels the galaxy looking for his next target. The character was created in 1980s but became even more popular in the 1990s, when he was resurrected as a renegade biker. Two years ago there were talks that Guy Richie might direct the adaptation but he left the project in order to shoot SHERLOCK HOLMES. The film will now be helmed by Brad Peyton, who had a big hit this spring with JOURNEY II: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

HOLLYWOOD SPY'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TREVOR MORRIS, THE COMPOSER FROM "IMMORTALS", "THE TUDORS", "THE BORGIAS", "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN", "THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH"!

I'm sure that all of you are huge fans of famous epic TV shows such as THE TUDORS, THE BORGIAS, THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, and today, here at HOLLYWOOD SPY we have an exclusive and lovely talk with one of world's greatest composers, Trevor Morris, the man who composed the
amazing music in those shows weaving emotions and drama into his magnificent scores. Beside scoring music for the shows, he also worked on the music for huge cinematic blockbusters from IMMORTALS to PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL and DEAD MAN'S CHEST and THE ISLAND.

DEZZ The refined sensuality, deep passion and profound understanding of the message that they should convey is what marks the scores and musical themes you did for so many epic shows and films. The listeners get an impression that you write with your heart not with your fingers. How much emotions does it take to write such masterpieces? You've said once that you have to go deep not just into the story but also into the characters as well while composing.

TREVOR It takes a lot of emotional dedication to get that emotion out, at least for me. I'm sure some composers can detach the two, but for me the verisimilitude comes from me feeling going in what comes out.

DEZZ Probably the most legendary epic series ever THE TUDORS was one of the projects that made you famous. How was it working on the show, and are you aware that millions of people consider the main theme of the show one of the most enchanting pieces ever? You won an Emmy for it!

TREVOR Thank you, I am proud of that one, it was a great ride, I was sorry to see it end, but like a good friend, you're sorry to see them leave, but you are left more enriched from having spent time with them.

DEZZ You've also worked on THE BORGIAS and THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, creating stunning music for both shows and giving both of the projects memorable opening themes. What are your experiences from those shows? Will you work on WORLD WITHOUT END, sequel to PILLARS?

TREVOR I am working on the final episode of "The Borgias" as we speak, it continues to get richer and richer. Its another amazing gift of a project that has come my way, for which I am very grateful.
I will not be scoring "World Without End", they have a new director who has a relationship with his composer, and I have enormous respect for those relationships.

DEZZ  Speaking of inspiring relationships, you also worked on last year's worldwide epic blockbuster IMMORTALS. Was it a delight
working with Tarsem? I can imagine how his visual genius is a magnificent treat and inspiration for costume and set designers and composers he works with.

TREVOR Tarsem was amazing, amazingly supportive of me, and just a great human being. It was likely the best experience of my career in every possible way.

DEZZ  When it comes to films, beside IMMORTALS, you did music for PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, KING ARTHUR, TEARS OF THE SUN, THE LAST SAMURAI, SHARK TALE, THE ISLAND, THE SCORPION KING, HILLS HAVE EYES... What's the difference between composing for films and shows? Do you compose after the film is done, or before you even see it?

TREVOR There isn't a lot of difference to me in how I approach. The medium is different, so you have to be aware of that. But I approach them in very similar ways. Composers always work to the finished picture (or nearly finished picture).
DEZZ  Since you often work on historical shows and films, where do you find the inspiration for creating a music that belongs to a long past era, where do you find all the authentic instruments, and what kind of research does all that involve and require? Which instruments do you play yourself?

TREVOR Its funny that I am known as the Historical drama guy, since I never sought out to be that. Be that as it may I am grateful for it. I play a lot of instruments badly (Dulcimers, stuff like that). But mostly it lives in my computer, or I program it on piano keyboard (which is my instrument) and have it replaced by a real musician. I'm never bound by historical correctness, so I just use whatever instruments speak to me, have a dramatic cinematic sense. It matters not if it was "of the time" or not.

DEZZ You were born in the same town as famous Oscar winning director Paul Haggis (CRASH). Any chances of you two working together? Which directors, musicians and artists would you like to work with in the future. Who are your own idols from the business? We know that you worked with Hans Zimmer, Jerry Bruckheimer, Neil Jordan, Ridley Scott...

TREVOR I've never met Paul, but I would love to work with him. I think he's one of the best writers we have (and director too obviously). I've worked with the
Scott brothers as producers on "The Pillars of the Earth". But to compose for either of them as directors would be a career dream come true. They are my kind of movie makers, I'm a huge huge fan.

DEZZ How does it feel being an inspiration and role model to so many musicians and aspiring composers around the world? How does it feel when you know that your work has touched millions of people, who cried, laughed, loved, dreamed with your music? Are you aware of the impact which you as a man and an artist have on this big world? Do you feel like you've fulfilled your mission?

TREVOR My humble Canadian side can't allow me to think that way, but I appreciate you saying it. It's the project that reaches the world, and music goes along for the ride. There is no main title music for "The Tudors", without "The Tudors", if you know what I mean. Its certainly immensely gratifying to know my music has reached so many corners of the world, and that feeling is never lost on me.
It makes me feel connected in some small way to the composer heroes I looked up to as kid, like John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith and James Howard. Knowing how far and how deep their music reaches, if I can channel even a small part of that mojo, I am winning.

DEZZ Trust me, Trevor, you've got the mojo :) Could I ask you what will you be working on in the future? Some new projects after THE BORGIAS?
TREVOR Feature film "Fire with Fire" (a film about a fireman who takes an unexpected course of action when he's threatened by a man who he's been ordered to testify against, with Bruce Willis and Josh Duhamel) and then some well earned time off.

DEZZ Being such a dashing hunk that you are :), have you ever used your talents to seduce someone with a song written specially for them, or serenading them? :) I know that you have a beautiful wife.

TREVOR You'll have to ask my wife about that one.

DEZZ Trevor, I must thank you for sharing your answers with the readers of HOLLYWOOD SPY.  We will be following your future career with great interest and a lot of cheering from our side :) Click to visit Trevor Morris' official site!

Saturday, April 21, 2012

CHARACTER POSTERS FOR "G.I. JOE: RETALIATION" WITH CHANNING TATUM, DWAYNE JOHNSON, RAY PARK, BRUCE WILLIS! CHARMING TRAILER FOR "YOUR SISTER'S SISTER" WITH EMILY BLUNT AND MARK DUPLASS

The main treat I have for you today, people, are brand new character posters for action film G.I. JOE: RETALIATION, a sequel to the
successful blockbuster from a few years ago which followed the international special forces unit known as "G.I. Joe". These new posters show Channing Tatum as Captain Duke Hauser, Bruce Willis as Joe, the original G.I. Joe, Dwayne Johnson as Roadblock, Ray Park as Snake Eyes, Byung-hun Lee as Storm Shadow, and Elodie Yung as Jinx. And there is also the first picture of the Cobra Commander. Ready to open up in cinemas June 29th the story of the film will see the remaining Joes gathering together again in order to strike back at the evil Cobra spy
Zartan (brilliant Arnold Vosloo, famous as the Mummy from Stephen Sommers' famous saga) who had most of them assassinated. The cast also includes Ray Stevenson as Firefly and Adrianne Palicki as Lady Jaye and Jonathan Pryce as the American president. According to IMDB, the film is influenced by "G.I. Joe: Renegades",
where Cobra turns the authorities against the Joes, and they end up on the run. Even though the fans were shocked with the decision, the producers have decided for some reason to leave out a lot of the most
popular characters from the first film, thus we won't see Rachel Nichols who was brilliant as Scarlett, Sienna Miller who played Baroness, Joseph Gordon Levitt who played the Doctor, Marlon Wayans who played Ripcord, and Dennis Quaid who played general Hawk.

YOUR SISTER'S SISTER
The only new trailer I have for you kids, is for romantic drama YOUR SISTER'S SISTER which hits cinemas this June and has our favourite British beauty Emily Blunt in the lead role alongside Rosemarie DeWitt. A year after his brother
Tom's death, Jack (Mark Duplass, I've no idea who he is, but he's definitely not a lead star material if you ask me) is an emotionally unstable slacker. When he makes a scene at a memorial party, Tom's ex-girlfriend Iris (Blunt) offers up her family cabin on an island in the Pacific Northwest so Jack can seek catharsis in solitude. Once there, however, he runs into Iris' sister Hannah, a lesbian reeling from the abrupt end of a seven-year relationship who finds solace in the affable Tom's unexpected presence, and the two bond over a long night of drinking. The blurry evening concludes with an awkward sexual incident made worse by Iris' sudden presence at the cabin the next morning which sets into motion a twisted tale of ever-complicated relationships.