Sunday, December 23, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
News: Dec 21, 2012
Les Miz spills with emotion, beauty
To transform the much-beloved Les Miserables from stage to screen, director Tom Hooper had find a way to maintain — and amplify — the emotional power of the original words and music with the trappings of a big-screen production.
His efforts have created a beautiful and moving version of the stage production that’s loyal enough to its origins to appease Broadway musical fans, yet is theatrical enough to stand as a feature film release. (TheRecord.com)
With 'Les Miz', a new kind of speech for Hooper
Hooper has already developed a reputation as an actor's director, having steered Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush ("The King's Speech") and Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney ("John Adams") to acting honors. The performances in "Les Miz" — given room for spontaneity and framed in close-up — have been widely hailed, including those of Russell Crowe (the police chief Javert), Eddie Redmayne (the revolutionary Marius) and particularly Anne Hathaway, who as the tragic Fantine sings the show-stopping "I Dreamed a Dream" in one take. (Wood TV)
'Les Miserables' movie relies on close-ups for emotional punch
For British director Tom Hooper, the key to turning "Les Miserables" from the wildly popular stage musical to a cinematic experience both sweeping and intimate, was all in the close-up. (Buenos Aires Herald)
Victorious boys from Oz take the world by storm as Les Miserables premieres in Sydney
"This is our last stop on the promotional tour and it makes it all the more special that it is here at home with my family and friends," Jackman said.
His good mate Crowe added: "What you see here is a friendship that has developed over two decades and a respect and understanding for what each other brings to their craft. That doesn't get the fine point on it until you get on set and work together. (news.com.au)
Jackman, Crowe premiere 'Les Mis' in Australia
Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe had some fun with the photographers on the red carpet for the Australian premiere of Les Miserables Friday. The movie, which is earning rave reviews and plenty of Oscar buzz, opens in U.S. theaters on Christmas Day. (USA Today)
Hugh Jackman & Russell Crowe interview on The Project-Les Miserables
Thursday, December 20, 2012
News: Dec 20, 2012
Russell Crowe & His Sons Out In Sydney
Russell Crowe and his boys Tennyson, 6, and Charlie, 8, were seen together in Sydney, Australia on Thursday (December 20). Tennyson kept his arms folded while his older brother chatted along. (Celebrity Baby Scoop)
New 'Broken City' Trailer: Mark Wahlberg Takes on Russell Crowe's Corrupt City
Mark Wahlberg’s going to be showing up in several films next year, beginning with the Noir crime-drama Broken City from director Allen Hughes (working without his brother, Albert, for the first time) and costarring Oscar-winners Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta-Jones. (Screen Rant)
Oscars Flashback '01: The Standoffish 'Gladiator'
At the 2001 Academy Awards, Russell Crowe won his first Oscar for Gladiator, a film that created a significant appetite for epic dramas that still exists today. (ET Online)
'Les Miserables' Samantha Barks: 'This cast overwhelmed me'
"I never thought I'd see the day that I'd be sat around a table on the first day of rehearsals with Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen… even saying it out loud now is overwhelming for me," Barks said to Flicks and Bits. (Digital Spy)
Photo Essay: Les Miserables celebrities in Sydney for premiere
A media photo call was held this morning with director Tom Hooper, actor Hugh Jackman and producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh at Hickson Road Reserve, The Rocks, with the Sydney Opera House as a backdrop.
Sydney is the final stop on the Les Misérables
international promotional tour ahead of the Australian Premiere, which
takes place tomorrow (Friday 21 December) at The State Theatre. (Digital Journal)
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
News: Dec 19, 2012
10 Great Movie Pairings of 2012
6. Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe in Les Miserables (Herald Sun)
"Les Miserables" had a royal premiere in Tokyo this week, where its Australian star Hugh Jackman walked the red carpet at the charity gala.
In the audience at the Tuesday night screening was Japanese Crown Prince
Naruhito, who sat next to Jackman as the movie unfolded. The film, set
to open Christmas Day in the U.S., also stars Anne Hathaway, Russell
Crowe and Amanda Seyfried. (CBS News)
Jackman is in Sydney to attend Friday night's premiere of Les Miserables
at the State Theatre. He will be joined at the premiere by co-star
Russell Crowe, director Tom Hooper and the film's executive producer
Cameron Mackintosh. (Sydney Morning Herald)
The company (Fandango) has announced that Les Miserables has become not only the #1 advanced ticket-seller among all Christmas Day releases (beating out 2009's Sherlock Holmes), but it is also now become the #1 advanced ticket-seller among all musicals (beating out 2006's Dreamgirls). The most recent statistics show that Hooper's film is currently making up 40% of the site's sales, beating out The Hobbit which stands at 32%. Zero Dark Thirty and Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away 3D trails them with 6% and 3%, respectively.(Cinema Blend)
6. Javert, Les MiserablesRussell Crowe may be singing for his supper in Les Miserables, but don't misrepresent his love of song for an ounce of compassion. We get a taste of his maddening methods in this Les Miserables extended trailer
that only teases the way he goes after Hugh Jackman's Jean Valjean. It
is nothing short of ruthless and heartless. Knowing that Valjean has
served years in jail for merely stealing a loaf of bread to feed his
hungry family does not even register on Javert's radar. For some reason,
he simply wants to put this guy away for life. Crowe channels the
character every bit as evil as it was first seen onstage and even more
so... the character that ruled Victor Hugo's pages. (Movie Fanatic)
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
News: Dec 18, 2012
New Trailer for BROKEN CITY Starring Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe
20th Century Fox has released a new trailer for director Allen Hughes’ (The Book of Eli) political thriller Broken City. The film stars Mark Wahlberg as a private detective who is hired to identify the lover of a powerful
politician’s wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones), with Russell Crowe
playing the shady politician. This trailer focuses quite a bit more on
the film’s plot, teasing an enticing power play between Wahlberg and
Crowe’s characters. We also see a bit more of Zeta-Jones’ character,
though her intentions aren’t entirely made clear. The real draw,
though, seems to the face-off between Wahlberg and Crowe, and I’m eager
to see the two go toe-to-toe when the full film hits theaters. (Collider.com)A New 'Les Miserables' Featurette Focuses on Hugh Jackman
Universal Pictures has released a new behind-the-scenes featurette for director Tom Hooper's Les Misérables, opening in theaters on Christmas Day. Check out the video, focusing on Hugh Jackman's performance, in the player below. (ComingSoon.net)
The Illusion: 'Songs From Their Souls'
As they entered discussions for the film version of "Les Misérables," director Tom Hooper and producer Cameron Mackintosh agreed that there is something about movie musicals that is essentially false: It isn't that actors break into song—a convention the audience accepts—but that, with the music recorded well in advance of the filming, actors are challenged to make relevant in the moment a song they performed long ago. (The Wall Street Journal)
Russell Crowe 'had tough Les Mis audition'
Russell Crowe reportedly felt like he was being judged by “ten Simon Cowells” when he auditioned for Les Misérables.
The actor portrays policeman Javert in Tom Hooper’s musical movie adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel.
Russell was desperate to win the part as soon as he heard the film was in the pipeline and was reportedly willing to do anything to secure it. He had to show off his vocal skills in front of many of those involved with the production, which was daunting. It’s been claimed Russell felt like he was trying out for a singing competition in front of famed acid-tongued reality show judge Simon. (Film-News.co.uk)
Al Clark to Receive Australian Academy's Lifetime Raymond Longford Award
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert producer Al Clark will receive the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts' highest honor, the Raymond Longford Award, in Sydney in January.
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Director Tom Hooper to be Honored with Sonny Bono Visionary Award at Palm Spring
Today, Dec. 18, the 24th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival announced that it will present Academy Award-winning director Tom Hooper ("Les Miserables") with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award. Presented by Cartier, the Awards Gala will be held Saturday, Jan. 5, at the Palm Springs Convention Center. (Examiner)
Eddie Redmayne, 'Les Miserables' Star, On Sets That Smell Like Dead Fish & Singing Till You Bleed
In "Les Miserables," Redmayne stars as Marius, the romantic lead of the film's second half, an upstanding youngster who falls head over heels in love with Cosette (Amanda Seyfried). It's a role Michael Ball made famous in the original London production of "Les Miserables," and it provides Redmayne with a stand-out moment: a heartbreaking rendition of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables."
Redmayne spoke to HuffPost Entertainment about landing the "Les Miserables" role, why this might be his last musical, and how the set smelled when Hathaway sang "I Dreamed A Dream." (Hint: Bad.) (Huffington Post)
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