BRENDAN GLEESON, DAVID THEWLIS JOIN KATE BECKINSALE, JIM STURGESS, BEN KINGSLEY, MICHAEL CAINE IN "ELIZA GRAVES"! NEW "MORTAL INSTRUMENTS" TRAILER WITH LILY COLLINS, JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS, AIDAN TURNER

ELIZA GRAVES

KATE BECKINSALE, BRENDAN GLEESON, JIM STURGESS, MICHAEL CAINE

Two more acting legends have joined the already stellar cast of new thriller ELIZA GRAVES which is a movie adaptation of of an Edgar Allan Poe story. According to "Deadline" Brendan Gleeson and David Thewlis have joined Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley. Sturgess plays a young doctor who comes to apprentice at a mental institution and meets a beautiful patient (Beckinsale) that he falls in love with amidst a set of difficult circumstances, which may be more complicated than they seem. What he doesn't know is that patients are playing doctors in the asylum! Sometime this year Kate Beckinsale will star in the lead role in THE TRIALS OF CATE MCCALL as a former hotshot lawyer, now in recovery and estranged from her family, who, in order to be reinstated at the bar and recover custody of her daughter, must take on the appeal of a woman wrongfully convicted of murder.

NICK ZANO IN

NEW SITCOM NICKY

Deadline also reports that Channing Tatum will join his best friend Nick Zano (BROKE GIRLS, HAPPY ENDINGS) in producing a new sitcom NICKY which will try to put a humorous spin on the true life story of Zano's growing up in a multi generational house of seven women in New Jersey. He will play 30-year old Nicky, who is trying to finally move out of the house only to realize he needs to stay and help raise his youngest sister. Channing Tatum has already put the story of his own youth in a film when he depicted his early stripper days in MAGIC MIKE blockbuster. He just had his first daughter Everly a few weeks ago with Jenna Dewan Tatum.

MORTAL INSTRUMENTS TRAILER

 LILY COLLINS, JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS, AIDAN TURNER

A new trailer has arrived for upcoming fantasy movie adaptation of famous bestseller THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES. Starring delightful Lily Collins in the lead role of a young girl drawn into a frightening world of angels and demons, the movie hits cinemas this August. Lily portrays Clary Fray, an ordinary teenager living in New York who discovers that she is a Shadowhunter - a supernatural warrior destined to battle the forces of darkness. She then joins a group of fellow Shadowhunters to thwart a plot to conquer the world following the disappearance of her mother (Lena Headey). The rest of the cast in the adaptation of a Cassandra Clare novel is quite stellar including Irish superstars Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Aidan Turner, action star Kevin Durand and young heartthrob Kevin Zeggers.

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"CHEERS" & "SEINFELD" STARS TO REUNITE IN KIRSTIE ALLEY'S NEW SITCOM! JENNIFER LOPEZ JOINS RODRIGO SANTORO & ANTONIO BANDERAS IN "THE 33" CHILEAN MINERS DRAMA! TRAILER FOR DISNEY'S "FROZEN"

JENNIFER LOPEZ JOINS

ANTONIO BANDERAS & RODRIGO SANTORO IN "THE 33" CHILEAN MINERS DRAMA

It seems that the upcoming movie on the tragedy of Chilean miners who were trapped underground for months a few years ago is gathering all of the top Latino stars for its cast. After Antonio Banderas and Rodrigo Santoro have joined the film in the lead roles, Jennifer Lopez has signed the deal too! THE 33 will follow the true story of the 33 Chilean miners who were rescued after being trapped a mile beneath the Earth's surface for 69 days back in 2010. According to "THR" Antonio Banderas will play the role of Mario Sepulveda, the charismatic miner nicknamed “Super Mario” while Martin Sheen will play a miner’s father, with Rodrigo Santoro appearing in the role of a trapped miner.

CHEERS & SEINFELD STARS

TOGETHER IN NEW KIRSTIE ALLEY COMEDY SHOW
And here's something interesting: TV Land's upcoming new sitcom KIRSTIE is looking to reunite tones of legendary television comedians: from Kirstie Alley in the lead role to Rea Perlman and George Wendt from CHEERS, to  Michael Richards and Jason Alexander from SEINFELD. Kirstie Alley will play Madison Banks, a Broadway star who finds her life turned upside down when her son (Eric Petersen) suddenly appears, looking to reconnect with his biological mother after his adopted mom dies. Rhea Perlman plays Madison's trusted assistant and best friend, while Michael Richards portrays Alley's eccentric driver. George Wendt will play Thelma's (Perlman) ex-husband, while Jason Alexander is Madison's Broadway manager.

DISNEY'S "FROZEN"

 LOVELY NEW TRAILER

Awww... look how adorable these are: new photos  and the first trailer from Disney's new animated feature FROZEN which will open up in theatres this November! The story of the animated tale follows Anna, a young adventurer who, in the hopes that she will bring an end to the perpetual winter climate, travels to find her sister, Elsa the Snow Queen! Idina Menzel lends her voice to Snow Queen while Kristen Bell lends her voice to Anna, the hero of the story which sees her and  a mountain climber called Kristoff journeying through snowy peaks and dangerous cliffs to find the legendary Snow Queen and end the perpetual winter prophecy that has fallen over their kingdom. The movie is directed by Chris Buck, whom you know as the helmer of TARZAN and SURF'S UP, and Jennifer Lee, whom you know as the screenplay writer for WRECK-IT RALPH!

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LIAM HEMSWORTH IN "CUT BANK" WITH JOHN MALKOVICH, BEN KINSLEY & "ARABIAN NIGHTS" EPIC WITH ANTHONY HOPKINS! MELISSA MCCARTHY JOINS "B.O.O. BUREAU OF OTHERWORLDY OPERATIONS"! SAM RILEY JOINS MICHELLE WILLIAMS IN "SUITE FRANCAISE" WW2 DRAMA

LIAM HEMSWORTH IN

CUT BANK & ARABIAN NIGHTS

The youngest member of the Hemsworth family, and the youngest brother of Chris the Thor, Liam Hemsworth has two new gigs: he will join CUT BANK a crime thriller in which he will play a man who dreams of leaving his hometown of Cut Bank, Montana. His attempt to leave triggers a deadly series of events that change the town and his life forever. The film will be quite star studded since the cast also has John Malkovich, Ben Kingsley, Michael Sheen and Teresa Palmer. Two years ago I also informed you that Liam is set to star with Anthony Hopkins in ARABIAN NIGHTS epic adventure. The production has been greenlit by Chinese authorities and the American Chinese project will start shooting this August. The $70 million movie will be a visually stunning 3D retelling of the classic adventure tale about a bold, young commander who joins forces with Sinbad, Aladdin and his Genie to rescue Scheherazade and save her kingdom from the dark powers of an immortal sorcerer.

MELISSA MCCARTHY IN

BUREAU OF OTHERWORLDY OPERATIONS
Meanwhile, Melissa McCarthy has joined the voice cast of animated film B.O.O. Bureau of Otherwordly Operations which will focus on a secret government agency which protects humans from evil ghosts and the various hauntings they carry out in the name of their supernatural overlord. Melisca McCarthy and Seth Rogen  will play two agents new to the agency, both recently deceased individuals who stumble upon a plot put forth by the most wanted Haunter, which will bring about the destruction of B.O.O. They will have to stop a ghost army from consuming America before it moves onto the rest of the world.

TOM RILEY JOINS

 MICHELLE WILLIAMS IN SUITE FRANCAISE WW2 DRAMA

The latest one to join the already starry cast of World War II drama SUITE FRANCAISE is young Sam Riley.  As "Deadline" reports Riley is going to play the role of French soldier Benoit in the film which will be based on Irene Nemirovsky’s bestselling novel about a young woman in Nazi occupied France who ends up falling in love with a German officer. Michelle Williams is taking the lead role, Matthias Schoenaerts is the German soldier and Kristin Scott Thomas is also in the cast of the Saul Dibb (THE DUCHESS) directed drama. We shall also watch Sam Riley next to Angelina Jolie in MALEFICENT fantasy tale.

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HOLLYWOOD SPY EXCLUSIVE SPOTLIGHT ON POSTAPOCALYPTIC SF EPIC "SNOWPIERCER" WITH CHRIS EVANS, JAMIE BELL, OCTAVIA SPENCER, TILDA SWINTON, ED HARRIS, JOHN HURT

SNOW PIERCER

 FUTU- RISTIC ICE AGE

The summer has started and so has the tropical heat so while your little bums are melting away maybe you will soothe yourself by imagining polar regions covered with snow, bound with frost and surrounded with the sound of blizzards? Well, that is pretty much the setting of upcoming new science fiction action movie SNOWPIERCER in which people, in not so distant future in year 2031, live on a perpetually moving train because the humanity has destroyed Earth's climate and the weather has become too harsh to survive when outside.

SNOWPIERCING STORY

SOCIAL CLASSES IN A PERPE- TUALLY MOVING TRAIN

The film is set in a future where, after a failed experiment to stop global warming, an ice age has killed off nearly all life on the planet. The only survivors are the inhabitants of the SNOWPIERCER, a massive train that travels around the planet and is powered by a perpetual-motion engine. Over time a class system evolves on the train, with the elites inhabiting the 'front' of the train and poor inhabiting the 'back' of the train. Tired of the poor conditions suffered by riders in the 'back', a revolution occurs with the riders attempting to seize control of the engine which the elites in the 'front' consider 'sacred'. As you can see, beside being science fiction apocalyptic action, SNOWPIERCER also brings a political story

depicting a system in which the rich have everything, and more than they need, while the poor have absolutely nothing (sounds familiar, hm?).

SNOWPIERCING CAST

CHRIS EVANS, JAMIE BELL, OCTAVIA SPENCER, TILDA SWINTON
What distinguishes SNOWPIERCER from other post apocalyptic films is the rather breathtaking gallery of actors in its cast filled with a number of critically acclaimed actors from megapopular and megacharismatic Chris Evans in the lead role, to Oscar winners and nominees Octavia Spencer, Ed Harris, Tilda Swinton and John Hurt, to young heartthrobs and stars Jamie Bell and Luke Pasqualino. The film was directed by Bong Joon-ho and this marks his first movie in English after directing famous South Korean films THE HOST and MOTHER.

SNOWPIERCING TIDBITS

 COMIC BOOK ADAPTATION

The movie is actually a film adaptation of the French graphic novel "Le Transperceneige" by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette. Joon-ho found the novel while visiting a comic book shop in Seoul and finished reading the entire series while standing in front of the bookshelf, where he found it. He was fascinated by ideas of people struggling on the train for survival, with every cabin classified in social stratification. The $40 million movie will start its cinematic life from August in Korea and will then start its tour around the world with The Weinstein Company distributing in USA.

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HOLLYWOOD SPY EXCLUSIVE SPOTLIGHT ON SCIENCE FICTION EPIC ACTION "RIDDICK" WITH VIN DIESEL, KARL URBAN, KERI HILSON, JORDI MOLA AND KATE SACKHOFF

  THIRD PART OF 

 RIDDICK SAGA

The latest chapter of the ground breaking galaxy saga which started back in 2000 with sci-fi film PITCH BLACK and continued in 2004 with the visually mindblowing space opera THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, is ready to premiere September 6th. Titled simply RIDDICK, with a subtitle RULE THE DARK,  it reunites David Twohy (who wrote and directed previous two movies too) and action superstar Vin Diesel. Diesel reprises his role as the antihero Riddick, a dangerous escaped convict who can see in the dark and is wanted by every bounty hunter in the known galaxy.

THE STORY OF RIDDICK

 YOU'RE NOT AFRAID OF THE DARK, ARE YOU?

The infamous RIDDICK has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he's encountered. The only way off is for RIDDICK to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty. The first ship to arrive carries a new breed of merc, more lethal and violent, while the second is captained by a man whose pursuit of RIDDICK is more personal. With time running  out and a storm on the horizon that no one could survive, his hunters won't leave the planet without Riddick's head as their trophy. After the bounty hunters from throughout the galaxy descend on Riddick they find themselves pawns in his greater scheme for revenge. With his enemies right where he wants them, RIDDICK unleashes a vicious attack of vengeance before returning to his home planet of Furya to save it from destruction.

 RIDDICK TIDBITS

 KARL URBAN AND KERI HILSON
 Beside Vin Diesel who again takes the role of RIDDICK that made him famous, Karl Urban also returns to the franchise portraying powerful Lord Vaako! Katee Sackhoff (from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, who has her first nude scene in the film playing one of the mercenaries), Dave Bautista and Jordi Mola (who takes the role of the main villain) are also in the cast alongside r'n'b diva Keri Hilson who plays Shirah in the film - methinks it might be here that runs through a desert in the end of the trailer below.
The film was shot on a relatively low budget of about $38 million. Previous two films earned around $160 million worldwide becoming cult sf hits in years to come. One of the locations used for the shooting was the White Desert in Farafra, Egypt. The film will be more dark like the first one was and less spectacular like the second one.

 

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PATRICK WILSON IN "STRETCH"! EDDIE REDMAYNE IN "THEORY OF EVERYTHING" AS STEPHEN HAWKING? SANDRA BULLOCK IS CRANKY MISS HANNIGAN IN REMAKE OF "ANNIE"?

 PATRICK WILSON

 WILL "STRETCH" A BIT

One of HOLLYWOOD SPY's favourite male actors Patrick Wilson has just boarded STRETCH. The story of this action comedy follows a downtrodden man (Patrick Wilson) who becomes the limo driver for an eccentric billionaire (Chris Pine). Little does he know that his boss is about to make his life a living hell. Ed Helms will play limo driver's colleague. Although he is an outstanding drama actor, Patrick Wilson will be seen mostly in horrors this year - in THE CONJURING with Vera Farmiga and in INSIDIOUS 2 next to Rose Byrne! Next year he will be a husband of a bipolar and compulsive woman played by Katherine Heigl in NORTH OF HELL.

 EDDIE REDMAYNE IS

STEPHEN HAWKING IN THEORY OF EVERYTHING
Yet another of HOLLYWOOD SPY's absolutely favourite actors, LES MISERABLES, BIRDSONG and THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH star Eddie Redmayne, could get another new gig too: Deadline reports that he might take the role of famous genius Stephen Hawking in THEORY OF EVERYTHING. The movie will mostly focus on on the relationship between the famous physicist Hawking and his wife! Eddie is currently filming science fiction epic JUPITER ASCENDING for Wachovsky siblings in which the story is set in a future where humans are considered the lowest form of life in the galaxy. Channing Tatum stars as an intergalactic bounty hunter who is sent by the Queen of the Universe to kill an Earth woman (Mila Kunis) whose genetic traits are identical to the Queen's!

 SANDRA BULLOCK IS

 MISS HANNIGAN IN "ANNIE" REMAKE

Well, this is certainly entertaining: Sandra Bullock is in talks to take a role in the new remake of famous musical ANNIE! Believe it or not, Sandy will play naughty Miss Hannigan, the infamous cranky lady who runs and terrorizes the orphanage that Annie (Quvenzhané Wallis) stays in before being taken in by Daddy Warbucks (Jamie Foxx). We all remember Carol Burnett's famous portrayal of the character in the 80's original film. Sandra Bullock is busy this year: she first has the premier of hilarious comedy THE HEAT in which she and Melissa McCarthy play two totally different cops, and then she will play an astronaut stuck in space in GRAVITY next to George Clooney.

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MINDBLOWINGLY EPIC "300 RISE OF AN EMPIRE" TRAILER! NAOMI WATTS IS PRINCESS OF WALES IN FIRST "DIANA" TEASER! "SPLINTER CELL", "ASSASSINS CREED", "GHOST RECON" MOVIE ADAPTATIONS WITH MICHAEL FASSBENDER, TOM HARDY, MICHAEL BAY

  300 RISE OF AN EMPIRE

 FIRST MINDBLOWING TRAILER

The earth shattering, mind blowing and crazily stunning first trailer for this year's biggest epic adventure 300 RISE OF AN EMPIRE is finally here and you can watch it in all its glory! Queen Gorgo of Sparta seeking revenge, outrageously lavish palace of Xerxes, Artemisia in unbelievable costumes flinging arrows, horses jumping over stormy waves and glorious naval battles are just some of the awe-striking things you can see in the trailer! After its victory over the famous Spartan king Leonidas' 300 brave warriors who sacrificed their lives to save the country, the Persian Army under the command of infamous tyrant Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) marches south towards the major Greek city-states. The Democratic city of Athens, first on the path of Xerxes' army, bases its strength on its fleet, led by admiral Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton). Themistocles is forced to an unwilling alliance with the traditional rival of Athens, oligarchic Sparta whose might lies with its superior infantry troops. But Xerxes still reigns supreme in numbers over sea and land. Based on Frank Miller’s latest graphic novel "Xerxes", and told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster

“300” this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield — on the sea — as Greek general Themistokles attempts to

unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war. 300 RISE OF AN EMPIRE pits Themistokles against the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes, and Artemisia (Eva Green), vengeful commander of the Persian navy.The film is out next March and you can read more about it in our extensive spotlight!

  VIDEO GAMES ADAPTATIONS

ASSASSINS CREED, SPLINTER CELL AND GHOST RECON 
If you're into movie adaptations of famous video games here are a few updates. First, Frank Marshall (WAR HORSE) will produce the movie adaptation of ASSASSINS CREED movie version in which Michael Fassbender will play a hunter on legendary artefacts who uses a device which gives him the memories and skills of all of his ancestors. Other Ubisoft's game SPLINTER CELL will have Basil Iwanyk (WRATH OF THE TITANS) as the producer with Tom Hardy playing an agent of an elite division Echelon who eliminates threats around the world. Meanwhile Michael Bay will produce GHOST RECON adaptation. That one has pretty much the same plot as SPLINTER CELL - special forces cleaning up the world from terrorists (or at least the government says so if you're naive enough to believe it).

DIANA TRAILER

WITH NAOMI WATTS

In the trailer department today check out the first teaser for upcoming new drama DIANA which follows a part of late Princess Diana's life. She was an icon to some and a nightmare for the British royal family who couldn't fight against Diana's manipulations with her image in media. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, and starring Naomi Watts  the film depicts a secret affair that Princess Diana had shortly before her tragic death. Naveen Andrews appears as Dr. Hasnat Khan, the Pakistani heart surgeon Diana dated before meeting Dodi Fayed. The film is out in UK this September.

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