Tag Archives: Michael Fassbender

Natalie Portman And Michael Fassbender Lead ‘Macbeth’ Adaptation

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Natalie Portman And Michael Fassbender Lead Macbeth Adaptation

After filming roles in one of Terrence Malick‘s upcoming projects, on-set drama foiled Michael Fassbender and Natalie Portman‘s big screen reunion in “Jane Got a Gun,” but the pair won’t have to wait too long to make up for it.

Screen Daily is reporting that Fassbender and Portman have both taken roles in a new screen adaptation of one of William Shakespeare‘s most beloved, and feared, plays, “Macbeth.” The take of a Scottish lord and his—let’s call her—eccentric wife will be directed by Justin Kurzel, who won praise for his breakout film, the brutal “Snowtown.”

According to the site, “Macbeth” starring Portman and Fassbender will not be a modernization of the psychologically terrifying play. “The new take on Shakespeare’s classic… is set in the 11th century and in the original language,” Screen Daily explains.

It seems that Kurzel’s take on “Macbeth” will differ from the Bard’s play in how he shoots the fight sequences. “The script is understood to be a visceral approach to the story including significant battle scenes,” Screen Daily elaborates.

Portman will appear next in “Thor: The Dark World,” which hits theater in November. She is currently filming “Jane Got a Gun” with Joel Edgerton and Bradley Cooper.

This year, Fassbender has “Twelve Years A Slave” from his “Shame” director Steve McQueen and “The Counselor” from Ridley Scott and Cormac McCarthy. Right now, he’s reprising his role as Magneto in “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”

What do you think of the “Macbeth” casting news? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

‘Ratchet & Clank’ Movie Might Actually Please Gamers

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Ratchet & Clank Movie Might Actually Please Gamers

You can add another title to the growing list of video game adaptations in the works. Variety is reporting that the producer of the animated movie “Escape from Planet Earth” is developing an animated “Ratchet & Clank” film based on the platformer from Insomniac Games for release in early 2015.

While news of yet another video game movie is not earth-shattering, the “Ratchet & Clank” film is falling more in-line with what we’ve seen from the recent wave of film adaptations. As Variety reported, TJ Fixman is writing the script for “Ratchet & Clank,” a fan-pleasing choice considering that he’s a senior writer at Insomniac. What made the series so popular in the first place was, obviously, the gameplay, but also the sense of humor that both characters had.

Two of the most high-profile video game adaptations come out of the game publisher, Ubisoft. Michael Fassbender is producing an “Assassin’s Creed” movie, while Tom Hardy is set to star in “Splinter Cell.” With “Assassin’s Creed” in particular, the studio has insisted on maintaining some creative control over the adaptation, in part to please fans who crave continuity and also to avoid the debacle that was “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.”

So for now it seems that fans of “Ratchet & Clank” can rest easy. Their favorite characters are in safe hands.

Are you excited for a “Ratchet & Clank” movie? What do you think about the writer choice? Is this something other video game movies should try? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Noomi Rapace Confirms Progress On ‘Prometheus’ Sequel

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Noomi Rapace Confirms Progress On Prometheus Sequel

Depending on which side of the “Prometheus” line you fall on, we’ve either got some good news or some bad news for you. Work has begun on a “Prometheus” sequel.

The Playlist spoke with Noomi Rapace during her press tour for “Dead Man Down,” and the actress confirmed that she met with Ridley Scott earlier this month to talk sequel plans.

“They’re working on the script. I met Ridley in London a couple of weeks ago,” Rapace said. “I would love to work with him again and I know that he would like to do another one. It’s just like we need to find the right story. I hope we will.”

And for those of you hoping that a second “Prometheus” would drop the religious and philosophical elements that many complained about in the original just because Damon Lindelof wouldn’t be around this time, we’ve got more bad news for you.

“And it’s interesting because people, most people I’ve talked to who see the movie, see things that are quite different. Some people who see the movie many times and discover new things,” Rapace said. “There are all these religious aspects and there are very interesting conversations. And for me, if we do a second one, there are a lot of things to explore in there and to continue.”

As big fans of “Prometheus,” this is coming as good news for us. The first film’s ambiguity helped make it something different, even when it wasn’t being as successful as we may have wanted it to be. While Lindelof will be missed, it sounds like Scott knows what he wants to do with a second movie.

And that absolutely should involve Michael Fassbender‘s head in a bag.

Do you want to see a sequel to “Prometheus”? Let us know what you think in the comments below and on Twitter!

Will ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’ Really Submit To NC-17 Rating?

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Much like SM enthusiast Christian Grey, screenwriter Kelly Marcel knows how to titillate.

In a recent interview with The Sunday Times (excerpted in The Hollywood Reporter), Marcel revealed that she is “100 percent going there” with the big-screen adaptation of E L James’ best-selling “Fifty Shades of Grey,” claiming the film will receive an NC-17 rating from the Motion Picture Association of America.

A rep for Universal — the studio producing “Fifty Shades” — quickly responded, telling THR, “A screenplay has not yet been written, a rating has not been designated, and we have no further comment.”

James’ tale of billionaire businessman Christian Grey and his inexperienced paramour Anastasia Steele is an undeniably saucy one, with plenty of explicit sex scenes and references to all manner of kinkery. Fans have long wondered how a cinematic version could possibly garner an R rating without erasing the bulk of erotic content that, let’s be honest, makes “Fifty Shades” what it is. So while Marcel’s NC-17 claims may have buoyed hopes for a thoroughly faithful adaptation, box-office experts told MTV News that an R rating is more likely (and financially viable).

“The source material for ‘Fifty Shades‘ was always destined to be a film that toed the NC-17 line,” Exhibitor Relations box-office analyst Jeff Bock explained. “That said, there has never been a quantifiable success story for a film with an NC-17 rating, which is why you very rarely see one released anymore.”

To wit, the highest-grossing NC-17 film of all time, according to Box Office Mojo, is “Showgirls,” which since its release in 1995 has earned a little more than $20 million. In contrast, 2011′s much-talked-about “Shame,” starring Michael Fassbender, has grossed just under $4 million.

Historically, theater owners have been hesitant to show NC-17-rated films, making them a gamble for risk-averse studios. However, BoxOffice.com editor Phil Contrino said that stigma is mostly imagined nowadays.

“I highly doubt that the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ movie will be released in theaters with an NC-17 rating,” he said. “Even though the idea that major theater chains won’t play NC-17 films is largely a myth, there’s still a feeling that distributors lose out financially by choosing NC-17 over R. There’s a lot of money to be made here and an R rating is a safer bet from a financial standpoint.”

All of this doesn’t mean, however, that Marcel won’t deliver an NC-17-worthy script to Universal.

“My guess is they’ll make something that needs to be trimmed to get an R rating and then we’ll see an ‘unrated version’ on Blu-ray, which will help make the home market more lucrative after what’s sure to be an impressive theatrical run,” Contrino continued.

Bock agreed: “Odds are they may shoot an NC-17 script that will eventually be toned down in the editing process. Snip, snip…cut, cut.”

Regardless of whether “Fifty Shades of Grey” submits to an NC-17 rating or a less-financially-risky R, Box Office Guru editor Gitesh Pandya is confident the film will dominate the box office.

“Since so few films with [an NC-17] rating are ever released, and they are mostly small artsy pictures, ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ would be a blockbuster for that rating since most of the audience is of age anyway,” he said. “But buzz about its rating this early in the process makes for some nice publicity. It should do gangbusters no matter what the rating is. The only thing that could make it go limp at the box office is if they fail to make a good movie.”

So are we headed for our first NC-17 blockbuster? We’ll know for sure laters, baby.

Ian McKellen Wants An ‘X-Men’ ‘Future’ With Michael Fassbender

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The original Master of Magnetism is coming back! Well, maybe — assuming Fox can get him a contract and a copy of the script, that is.

Director Bryan Singer announced this month that Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart would reprise their roles as Magneto and Professor Charles Xavier for the upcoming “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” But in an interview with MTV News, McKellen said he has yet to sign on the dotted line, despite Singer’s announcement to the contrary.

“I have to say I haven’t signed a contract, nor have I read a script,” the actor told MTV while promoting “The Hobbit.” “But when Bryan Singer calls, on the whole, I follow.”

If he joins the cast of “Days of Future Past,” it would mark McKellen’s fourth collaboration with Singer, following the previous two “X-Men” films and the thriller “Apt Pupil.” Working with Singer again is one of many draws for McKellen — another being the opportunity to work with Michael Fassbender, who played a younger version of Magneto in “X-Men: First Class,” and will do so again for “Days of Future Past.”

“Wouldn’t that be fun,” McKellen said about the possibility of teaming up with Fassbender, an actor he greatly admires but has never met before. “I’d hope he’d enjoy it as much as I would.”

As for how his version of Magneto would fit alongside Fassbender’s, your guess is as good as McKellen’s. “I don’t know how it’s going to work,” he said. “I suspect it’s a flashback. The comics do go to and fro in time.”

Indeed, the comic book that “Days of Future Past” gets its title from directly deals in time-travel, as one member of the X-Men is thrown into a dystopian future where her fellow mutants are hunted and killed by enormous robots called Sentinels. McKellen is well aware of that particular comic, but he also doesn’t expect the movie to follow that storyline to the letter.

“I don’t think it’ll be quite as simple as that,” he teased.

Do you want to see McKellen in the “X-Men” sequel? Let us know in the comments below!

Check out everything we’ve got on “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”

Best Of 2012: Who Are The Year’s Newest Movie Stars?

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A fairy tale princess, a gadget guru and an outrageous a cappella singer walked into a theater … and entertained the pants off of us.

Of course, this character cabal wouldn’t have been what it was if not for the breakout performances of Lily Collins, Ben Whishaw and Rebel Wilson — just a few of the fresh film faces we met in 2012. And as the year comes to a close, MTV News is reflecting on the dozen Hollywood noobs who made the marquee shine just that much brighter. Check out our list and leave your own in the comments below.

Lily Collins
Role: The 23-year-old daughter of Phil Collins carved out her own path in Hollywood with roles in “The Blind Side” and “Abduction,” but it was her turn as Snow White in Tarsem Singh‘s kaleidoscopic “Mirror Mirror” that left a real impression.
Up Next: Collins will star as a Brooklyn teen who uncovers her family’s mysterious history destroying demons in the big-screen adaptation of “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,” hitting theaters August 23, 2013.

Ben Whishaw
Role: Floppy-haired Brit Ben Whishaw hit big Stateside this year in a pair of films: The Wachowski’s era-spanning drama “Cloud Atlas” and the latest Bond romp “Skyfall,” though it will likely be Whishaw’s tech-savvy quartermaster Q who will leave the most indelible impression. After all, he can do more damage on his laptop sitting in his pajamas before his first cup of Earl Grey than 007 can do in a year in the field.
Up Next: Whishaw can currently be seen in the second season of the BBC‘s winning period drama “The Hour.” He’ll next star alongside Matt Damon in 2013′s “The Zero Theorem,” and is rumored to be circling a role in Steven Spielberg’s “Robopocalypse.”

Rebel Wilson
Role: The Aussie’s outsized sense of humor was only hinted at in “Bridesmaids” — it took the role of Fat Amy in the aca-awesome musical comedy “Pitch Perfect” to get everyone singing along.
Up Next: Wilson has several encore performances arranged, including “Pain Gain,” starring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson, and “Super Fun Night” (which she wrote), co-starring “Pitch Perfect” castmate Anna Camp.

Dane DeHaan
Role: Something of a TV veteran with roles in HBO’s “In Treatment” and “True Blood,” Dane DeHaan blew up the big screen this year in “Jack and Diane,” “Lawless” and “Lincoln,” but it was his turn as telekinetic teen Andrew in the sci-fi film “Chronicle” that caught the industry’s eye.
Up Next: DeHaan has a number of high-profile projects lined up, including “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” in which he’ll play Peter Parker‘s frenemy Harry Osborn.

Gina Carano
Role: As undercover operative Mallory Kane in Steven Soderbergh’s action thriller “Haywire,” Carano, a mixed martial artist and former “American Gladiator,” was all grit and glam in a role that threw her in the faces of Michael Fassbender and Channing Tatum. Do we even need to tell you who came out on top?
Up Next: The 30-year-old will get “Fast and Furious” in the franchise’s sixth installment, before beating up a bunch more guys for “In the Blood.”

Thomas Mann
Role: The 21-year-old embodied the quintessential high-schooler with a house party gone awry in “Project X.” Seriously, very, very awry.
Up Next: Things will get magical for Mann in 2013 with roles in the fairytale redux “Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters” and the big-screen adaptation of “Beautiful Creatures.”

Berenice Marlohe
Role: Beautiful Berenice Marlohe joined a rarified group of women — including Halle Berry, Jane Seymour and Famke Janssen — who can call themselves Bond girls, having romanced Daniel Craig in the latest 007 actioner “Skyfall.” And, we should add, did it while flaunting what will likely be one of the most iconic black dresses of all time.
Up Next: The French actress joins half of Hollywood (Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender, Natalie Portman and Rooney Mara, just to name a few) in Terrence Malick’s untitled project, currently in production.

Sam Claflin
Role: The dashing Sam Claflin had already buckled our swash in 2011′s “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” but he really made a splash as the princess’ boyhood friend William in 2012′s “Snow White and the Huntsman” opposite Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth.
Up Next: Quieting months — if not years — of speculation, Claflin landed the highly coveted role of Panem’s hottest trident-wielder, Finnick Odair, in “The Hunger Games” sequel “Catching Fire,” out November 22, 2013.

Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward
Role: The adorable pair charmed the socks off movie goers this year as star-crossed sweethearts Sam and Suzy in Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom.”
Up Next: Gilman has yet to line up another project, while Hayward will star in “The Sisterhood of Night.”

Quvenzhane Wallis
Role: Little Quvenzhane Wallis melted hearts (and spurred plenty of awards-season speculation) with her role as Hushpuppy in the fantastical “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”
Up Next: Wallis, along with “Beasts” father Dwight Henry, will appear in Steven McQueen’s “Twelve Years a Slave,” starring Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender.

Suraj Sharma
Role: The Indian teen had no acting experience when he landed the title role in Ang Lee‘s picturesque epic “Life of Pi,” following a boy marooned in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger.
Up Next: College. The 19-year-old is currently studying philosophy at St. Stephen’s College in New Delhi, though he hopes to make more movies in the future.

Suggest other fresh faces of 2012 film in the comments!

Hugh Jackman Reveals ‘X-Men: Days Of Future Past’ Secret

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Come Christmas Day, Hugh Jackman will join the revolution as convict Jean Valjean in the latest theatrical adaptation of Victor Hugo‘s classic novel “Les Miserables,” but when the actor’s finished singing for his supper in 19th-century France, can he be counted on to take up the mutant cause, as well? That’s the question swirling around the superhero fandom after reports surfaced last week that Jackman was in talks to reprise his Wolverine role in “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”

Original “X-Men” stars Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan have already signed on for the time-traveling sequel, and with the source comic heavily featuring Jackman’s clawed character, the actor’s involvement is of particular interest.

Jackman confirmed to MTV News while at a press event for “Les Miserables” that he has indeed discussed the project with director Bryan Singer.

“Yes, I’ve been talking with Bryan about it,” Jackman said. “I did a very small cameo [in 'First Class']. I said, ‘As long as it’s no longer than three hours [of work] like last time…’ “

Whether Jackman will make a cameo or figure prominently into the events of “Days of Future Past,” remains to be seen.

“I still have not seen the script, so we’re in discussions about [the size of the role],” Jackman continued. “I think things are a little bit in flux and this is my generalized way of saying I’m not going to tell you. Did you buy it? Any of it?”

No, we didn’t, Hugh. And we’re buying your plot synopsis even less:

“Basically, I’m the only character in it,” he joked. “None of the other characters exist. I do talk about them, though. And occasionally you’ll see a [thought] bubble, and there’ll be pictures of Michael Fassbender and different characters. But the entire thing is one-shot singing, of course. Don’t tell anybody that, though. It’s really a secret.”

“X-Men: Days of Future Past,” starring James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult, will hit theaters July 18, 2014.

Check out everything we’ve got on “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”

‘X-Men’ Experts: Will Hugh Jackman Own The ‘Future’?

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He’s the best there is at what he does — and what he does is headline “X-Men” movies.

Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman is rejoining the larger “X-Men” universe with a role in director Bryan Singer’s “First Class” sequel, titled “Days of Future Past.” Jackman has already appeared as the iconic comic book hero in all five released X-films, with a sixth appearance slated for next summer’s “The Wolverine.” “Days of Future Past” marks lucky number seven for Jackman, though it’s unclear just how large a role he’ll play in the film.

“Who wouldn’t be excited by having Wolverine in an X-Men movie, since he’s such a big part of the team — but I also wonder how big a part he might actually play,” says Ed Douglas of SuperheroHype.com. “Clearly, Fox wants to shift the focus as well as make these movies cheaper (especially since ‘First Class‘ didn’t do as well as previous ‘X-Men’ movies), so I don’t think Wolverine will be the primary focus.”

Another reason why Jackman might not have as much screen time as his Wolverine is typically accustomed to is the sheer amount of high-quality actors on board for “Days of Future Past.” James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence have all been announced for the “First Class” sequel. On top of that, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are on board to reprise their roles of Charles Xavier and Magneto from the original “X-Men” trilogy.

READ: Seven X-Men Bryan Singer Needs To Bring Back

“I think it’s entirely possible for [Wolverine] to distract from the overall story, if they make this a Wolverine and the X-Men film like the previous trilogy was,” says Brett White, a ComicBookResources.com columnist with a long history as an “X-Men” reader. “But if the film follows the original ‘Days of Future Past’ comic book’s structure, with a team of future X-Men — Stewart, McKellen and Jackman — working in concert with the ‘First Class‘ team, then I think that’ll work and keep the ‘First Class‘ characters in the forefront, where they belong.”

Some have seen Jackman, Stewart and McKellen’s return to the “X-Men” franchise as a sign that Fox is looking towards Marvel Studios‘ model of using individual films to build towards a greater event, like “The Avengers.” Says White: “I think that after the success of ‘Avengers’ and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, every film company is going to try to pull that off. The X-verse is totally going in that way, and I’m fine with that. It makes sense.”

Others, like Douglas, don’t see it that way. “Wolverine was already spun-off from the original ‘X-Men’ trilogy. This isn’t Fox creating a bigger universe; it’s them tapping into the money they made with that trilogy to try to make more money,” he says. “If they introduced other characters in ‘Days of Future Past’ like some of the New Mutants and maybe tried to spin them off, that’s one thing. Or if Wolverine makes a cameo in a ‘Fantastic Four‘ movie, that’s another — but that’s probably not going to happen. The X-Men are going to stick to themselves so it doesn’t get too messy.”

Regardless of what “Days of Future Past” is building up to, this much is certain: the recent string of casting announcements — Jackman’s involvement in particular — makes this “X-Men” sequel a project to watch very, very closely.

“Even as a huge X-Men fan and a very tiny Wolverine fan, I’m excited about this,” says White. “Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine is just so charismatic and perfect, I’ll take as much of it as I can get.”

Check out everything we’ve got on “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”

Ridley Scott Gives ‘Prometheus 2′ And ‘Blade Runner 2′ Updates

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ad6e2 prometheus landing Ridley Scott Gives Prometheus 2 And Blade Runner 2 Updates

Just in the time for the Blu-ray release of “Prometheus,” director Ridley Scott spoke with Metro U.K. about his two proposed sci-fi sequels, a follow-up to his “Alien” prequel and the long-rumored second “Blade Runner.”

The filmmaker spoke candidly about the possibilities for the sequels, even openly talking about where a sequel to “Prometheus” would take us.

” ‘Prometheus’ evolved into a whole other universe,” Scott said.

Read more of Scott’s comments after the jump!

It pleases us to no end that a “Prometheus” sequel would follow the further adventures of Noomi Rapace’s Elizabeth Shaw and Michael Fassbender‘s head.

“You’ve got a person with a head in a bag that functions and has an IQ of 350,” Scott said. “It can explain to her how to put the head back on the body and she’s gonna think about that long and hard because, once the head is back on his body, he’s dangerous. They’re going off to paradise but it could be the most savage, horrible place. Who are the Engineers?”

As for the “Blade Runner” follow-up, Scott talked about it as a certainty with Harrison Ford‘s involvement being the major question mark.

“It’s not a rumor – it’s happening,” he said. “With Harrison Ford? I don’t know yet. Is he too old? Well, he was a Nexus-6 so we don’t know how long he can live [laughs]. And that’s all I’m going to say at this stage.”

Would you like to see sequels to “Prometheus” and “Blade Runner”? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

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Questions Will Be Answered (Allegedly) In Two ‘Prometheus’ Blu-ray Versions

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Questions Will Be Answered (Allegedly) In Two Prometheus Blu ray Versions

Decisions, decisions. 20th Century Fox has released the artwork for the Blu-ray release of “Prometheus” and revealed that there are actually two versions of the release that fans can take home.

The first is a full four-disc collector’s edition that includes the theatrical cut, 3D theatrical cut, DVD and digital copy of the movie, two sets of commentaries, the 15 minutes of deleted scenes we previously heard about and five special featurettes. The second, a two-disc release of the film, doesn’t include the 3D or any of the special featurettes. Like we said: decisions, decisions.

Allegedly — allegedly — these special features will offer up answers to some of the many questions we had following the release of “Prometheus.” There will be alternate opening and ending scenes, an explanation of whether “Prometheus” takes place on the same planet “Alien” does (in the first draft it did) and a tease about who the Engineers actually are.

“If we do a sequel to this prequel, we will find out who this race was,” Scott promises in the Blu-ray trailer.

But is it too little too late? Damon Lindelof already gave us the sense at Comic-Con that there are answers to the many, many questions “Prometheus” raised, so we believe that Scott and his creative team has explanations for the film. But those should have in the film itself instead of in a likely pretty expensive four-disc home video set that we need to buy later. Despite our complaints we probably still will pick up this set if only so we get more of Michael Fassbender as David.

“Prometheus” lands on Blu-ray on October 9.

Which version of “Prometheus” will you buy? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

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