The film version of Les Misérables is building momentum ahead of its Christmas roll-out in the States, and much has been made about Anne Hathaway’s very slimmed down look. She even made fun of her much shorter hair style, likening her new ‘look’ to resembling her brother.
“When I eventually looked in the mirror, I just thought I looked like my gay brother,” Hathaway told a New York audience at a Friday evening screening as reported by THR. Hathaway, who plays the tragic Fantine in the film, directed by Oscar-winning The King’s Speech director Tom Hooper, said her mother had also once played the part in a Philadelphia production when she was seven years-old.
Hathaway said in the December issue of Vogue that she lost 25 pounds to play the part, dropping the final 15 pounds by eating just two thin squares of dried oatmeal paste per day just ahead of the shoot.
“I had to be obsessive about it. The idea was to look near death,” she told Vogue. “Looking back on the whole experience — and I don’t judge it in any way — it was definitely a little nuts. It was definitely a break with reality, but I think that’s who Fantine is anyway.”
In related Les Misérables news, Hugh Jackman, who plays Jean Valjean in the musical told The Daily Mail that the film will transform the musical on-screen experience for audiences.
“We sing as we act, rather than lay down songs weeks in advance,” Jackman said. “It makes it much more realistic particularly with a gritty story like this.”
Also starring Russell Crowe, Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen, the film is an adaptation of Victor Hugo’s classic novel set in 19th century France.
[Sources: Us, Vogue, Daily Mail]
Class warfare never looked so chic. The new issue of Vogue magazine, which depicts Les Miserables star and recent Saturday Night Live host Anne Hathaway on the cover, features a lush Annie Leibovitz photo feature spotlighting the actress, Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Russell Crowe and other cast members. Check them out after the jump. [Vogue]
Also in Thursday afternoon’s round-up of news briefs: Taken 2 is looking to lead another strong box office this weekend. Devin Ratray is joining Alexander Payne’s latest. And banned Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has made another film, defying authorities.
Sacha Baron Cohen Eyes ‘Fact-Based’ Comedy The Lesbian
Paramount Pictures and Sacha Baron Cohen are developing a feature inspired by Hong Kong billionaire Cecil Chao’s offer of $65 million to any man who will succeed in marrying his lesbian daughter. Chao made the offer after reports his daughter had a French church bless her relationship with her longtime girlfriend, Deadline reports.
Hasbro Gets Movie Partner for Monopoly
Emmet/Furla Film will finance and co-produce three films based on Hasbro’s properties over the next two years. First on the list is Monopoly, which they’re aiming for production next year,” Deadline reports.
Taken 2 Set to Lead Another Strong Weekend
Liam Neeson stars in the feature, which has been getting strong pre-sale business. The domestic box office is expected to have a second strong box office this coming weekend, THR reports.
Devin Ratray Joins Alexander Payne’s Nebraska
Ratray will play the villain in the black-and-white film which stars Bruce Dern and Will Forte. The film stars a boozing father who heads to Nebraska from Montana to claim a Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes prize, THR reports.
Iran’s Banned Filmmaker Jafar Panahi Made Another Movie
Last year he made doc This is Not a Film from house-arrest in Tehran and it later made its way to Cannes. Although he’s facing a 20 year ban from making movies after offending the regime there, he’s apparently made another pic. So says fellow Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami whose Like Someone in Love premiered at the New York Film Festival, Indiewire reports.
After a whirlwind press tour spent stymieing journalists in character as his General Aladeen of the Republic of Wadiya, Dictator comedian Sacha Baron Cohen sat with the BBC for a rare straight interview — no costume, no shenanigans, no spilling the ashes of late despots on unsuspecting talking heads. The result: An actually coherent, fascinating filmed chat with Cohen about toeing the line of sensitivity with his despotism comedy, why he almost never gives interviews as himself, and how he took inspiration from the “ludicrous” power-hungry dictators of the world.
Cohen (who’s rather handsome when not in character!) spoke with BBC reporter Will Gompertz in Cannes, citing a few of his favorite dictators, so to speak:
“I had always found Colonel Gaddafi hilarious, and I wanted to do a character that was inspired by him. I had all these other ludicrous characters like Türkmenbaşy, who was the president and dictator of Turkmenistan, who renamed the day Thursday and the word for bread after his mother. When the doctor told him to give up smoking, he banned smoking from the whole country because he didn’t want to be reminded of cigarettes. And then you had someone like Kim Jong-il who claimed to have hit nine holes in one in his first ever game of golf. And obviously Colonel Gaddafi who had these 30 virgin guards, dressed unintentionally like a 60-year-old woman and would often break wind when being interviewed for the BBC…”
To read Movieline’s review of The Dictator, head here.
[via BBC]
While Sacha Baron Cohen was off playing with his old bitch, George Clooney played with a new bitch in Malibu. And this one’s a ginge! George treated his new Ginger Retriever friend like the lady or gentlemen that she or he is by gently shaking her or his paw during their first date. Okay, I’m using that “she or he” shit, because after doing a thorough examination with my eyes of this dog’s crotch area, I still don’t know whether it’s a dude or a lady. (I’m pretty sure that last sentence is exactly what the pediatrician said to my mom after my first psychical.) Let’s just make it easy and give George’s friend the totally creative name of Ginger.
George and Ginger shared many beautiful moments together while shooting an Android commercial that’s only going to air in Italy (because George is fancy like that). George usually doesn’t date his co-stars, but he should make an exception for Ginger. After hiring basic bland boring bitch after basic bland boring bitch to be his red carpet escort, George should get with a natural beauty with a personality. Ginger has talent (Sarah Larson is my hero, but I’d like to see her sit and stay on command), doesn’t need a $5,000 designer gown to look glamorous and will never bark out the English word “marriage.” Ginger is perfect! Come on, George, put Ginger’s paw on the contract.
Since Elisabetta Canalis is a professional when it comes to faking a relationship for a stack of money and a little relevancy, Sacha Baron Cohen hired her to star with him in a STUNT QUEEN skit on a yacht in Cannes this morning. While in his Dictator drag, Sacha rubbed on Elisabetta, showed her his little dicktator, pretended to be mad when she wasn’t impressed with it, murdered her and then threw her overboard in a body bag. It was like a sped up performance art interpretation of her entire relationship with George Clooney.
Grabbing on an annoying character who’s hairier than an unwaxed Kardashian before getting fake murdered is a million steps up from humping on the human skater’s scab that is Steve-O. So YAY for that, Elisabetta. And I really hope she got at least four 8 balls for doing this shit.
Also Wednesday afternoon, Jane Fonda picks up a role, Anthony Hopkins and Andy Garcia team for a story about Hemingway in Cuba and Sacha Baron Cohen’s midnight screenings outshine Dark Shadow.
Cannes Market Up 9% in 2012
The Marché du Film — better known as the Cannes Film Market — is defying a flat economy locally and growing by leaps and bounds. This year, 4,600 titles including finished films and projects, are up for sale in the market, a separate component from the overall Cannes Film Festival. And the number of buyers has also increased, according to the market’s own publication, Cannes Market News. Two hundred more buyers from around the world have descended on Cannes compared to last year, bringing the total to about 1,900. “Maybe it’s the word of mouth or the fact that the festival is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year, but we have the feeling people want to be here,” noted Marché du Film director Jérôme Paillard. The Cannes Film Market is now in its 53rd year.
Sundance Blesses Utah with $80M
Festivals are a business and they’re a big draw of people with expense accounts (and those without). The 2012 Sundance Film Festival, which takes place primarily in Park City, UT had an $80 million impact on Utah including $6.9 million in tax revenue and supporting 1,731 jobs. 46,000 attended the festival, an increase of 2% from the previous year. “Nationwide it is proven that the arts boost tourism, create jobs, increase educational outreach and support local businesses, and we are proud to be a strong example of this,” said Sundance Institute exec. director Keri Putnam.
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