News

Nightbitch's cast extends boasts some impressive talent opposite Amy Adams' commanding performance. Nightbitch is a black comedy riff on a classic creature feature, combining the themes of films like An American Werewolf in London with an exploration of motherhood. The film centers around Amy Adams' nameless Mother, who finds herself increasingly frustrated by her domestic life as a mother and wife above all else. Mother finds new freedom in the evenings however, especially as she steadily seems to begin transforming into a dog.

Although the overall film received mixed reviews from critics, Amy Adams' Nightbitch has become a streaming success on Hulu. While the film is anchored by Amy Adams' impressive central performance, the movie also features a strong supporting cast who bring out different shades of the lead character. The stars of Nightbitch range from veterans of the silver screen to modern character actors, all in service of...

Exclusive: Actress Alexi Wasser (Poker Face) has made her feature directorial debut with Messy, a relationship comedy she also wrote and leads, which is now in post. Others appearing alongside her include Adam Goldberg (The Equalizer), Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley), Mario Cantone (And Just Like That…), Ione Skye (Beef), Jack Kilmer (Palo Alto), Michael Panes (We Bought a Zoo), Ruby McCollister (Search Party), Dion Costelloe (Blue Bloods) and Merlot.

Aiming for a run on next year’s festival circuit, Messy follows the life of brutally self-aware, promiscuous, love addict Stella Fox (Wasser), who moves to New York after a devastating break up, and all her disappointing romantic dalliances over the course of a summer.

Wasser produced the film alongside the New York-based production company Simone Films, founded by Rebekah Sherman-Myntti and Kj Rothweiler. Bart Cortright served as its cinematographer.

“I call it a comedy of disappointments, very much based on my life,...

As an avid moviegoer, I have always been fascinated with the life and career of John Malkovich. His versatility as an actor is truly remarkable, having portrayed various characters in both theatre and Hollywood. In this blog post, I will take a closer look at Malkovich’s early years in theatre, his big break in Hollywood, his notable performances in theatre, his contributions to the fashion industry, and the future of his career. Let’s begin.

Malkovich’s Early Years in Theatre

John Malkovich was born in Illinois in 1953 and grew up in a family of conservationists. He attended Eastern Illinois University, where he initially studied environmental science, but later changed his major to theatre. Malkovich moved to Chicago after college and became a founding member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He established himself as a talented stage actor in the 1970s and 1980s, earning critical acclaim for his roles...

One of the most frustratingly mangled Hollywood success stories pertains to the supposed post-production salvation of "Bad Santa." Written by the then up-and-coming duo of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (based on a pitch from Joel and Ethan Coen), and directed by Terry Zwigoff (hot off the Academy Award-nominated "Ghost World"), the legend holds that Zwigoff's cut of the film was so relentlessly mean-spirited as to be unreleasable. This was backed up 13 years after the film's successful theatrical release by a selectively edited New York Times oral history, which privileges Bob Weinstein's version of the story.

You can't argue with the results. "Bad Santa" was the surprise, coal-in-the-stocking Christmas hit of 2003. Billy Bob Thornton's portrayal of an alcoholic mall Santa, who lazily participates in seasonal, criminal shenanigans with his elf helper, Marcus (Tony Cox), hit anti-consumerist notes with shocking brio. It reveled in the profane freedom of its...

Exclusive: Mo McRae (The Flight Attendant), Brian Geraghty (Gaslit), Chapel Oaks (The First Lady), Kenneth Miller (12 Strong) and Nicholas Logan (I Care a Lot) are the final additions to the cast of Ian and Eshom Nelms’ action-thriller Red Right Hand, which is in production in Kentucky. The actors join an ensemble that also includes Orlando Bloom, Andie MacDowell, Scott Haze and Garret Dillahunt, as previously announced.

Red Right Hand finds Cash (Bloom) trying to live an honest and quiet life with his widowed brother-in-law Finney (Haze) and niece, Savannah (Oaks), in the Appalachian hills of Odim County. When the sadistic Queenpin Big Cat (MacDowell), who runs the town, forces him back into her services to pay off Finney’s debts, Cash will use any means necessary—even killing—to protect his town and the only family he has left. As the journey gets harder, Cash is drawn into a...

Indie-film streaming service Fandor said it was “sad to hear the news” about WarnerMedia’s plans to shut down FilmStruck at the end of next month. But it also saw a business opportunity.

Fandor is giving current FilmStruck subscribers a special offer to check out over 4,000 indie films, documentaries, international features and shorts available on the platform. For a limited time, the service is offering FilmStruck members a $24.99 annual subscription to Fandor (a 57% discount from the regular $59.99 annual plan).

More info is at this link. It’s not clear how Fandor is verifying whether someone is an existing FilmStruck customer, and it seems like a general promo open to all new Fandor subscribers.

“We have asked for verification, but we will ultimately need to believe in the goodwill of subscribers to redeem based on the honor system,” Fandor chief marketing officer John Zamoiski said.

Films currently featured on Fandor include: “Lars and the Real Girl,...

Exclusive: The American Film Institute (AFI) has named veteran indie producer Lianne Halfon to be Producing Discipline Head of the AFI Conservatory. Producing is one of six disciplines in which the AFI Conservatory offers a two-year Master of Fine Arts degree, along with Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Production Design and Screenwriting. That job had been held for 14 years by Neil Canton, who retired from the post in June.

“Lianne brings a wealth of experience, taste and knowledge to the AFI Conservatory, and will no doubt take this pioneering program to the next level — and into the future,” said AFI Conservatory Dean Richard Gladstein.

Halfon in 1988 co-founded Mr. Mudd with Russell Smith and John Malkovich and she has produced films that include Juno, Ghost World, Art School Confidential, Jeff, Who Lives At Home, Young Adult and The Perks of Being A Wallflower. She exec produced the documentaries Crumb and Which Way Home,...

The bonus features for the long-awaited Blu-ray release of The Poughkeepsie Tapes are included in today's Horror Highlights, which also features a deleted scene included on The Mummy Blu-ray, clips from Die Laughing and The Lodgers, the trailer and poster for Haze, and images from Restricted Area.

The Poughkeepsie Tapes Blu-ray: Press Release: "From the filmmakers that brought you Quarantine and As Above, So Below comes a descent into the twisted crimes of a serial killer! Long sought-after by horror enthusiasts after its original 2007 theatrical release was infinitely delayed, this highly anticipated documentary-style thriller has never before been officially released on home entertainment formats. Making its Blu-ray and DVD debut October 10th, 2017 from Scream Factory, The Poughkeepsie Tapes also includes new interviews with writer/director John Erick Dowdle, writer/producer Drew Dowdle and actress Stacy Chbosky, as well as the original theatrical trailer as bonus features. Fans can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.

Each month, the fine folks at FilmStruck and the Criterion Collection spend countless hours crafting their channels to highlight the many different types of films that they have in their streaming library. This August will feature an exciting assortment of films, as noted below.

To sign up for a free two-week trial here.

Tuesday, August 1

Tuesday’s Short + Feature: These Boots and Mystery Train

Music is at the heart of this program, which pairs a zany music video by Finnish master Aki Kaurismäki with a tune-filled career highlight from American independent-film pioneer Jim Jarmusch. In the 1993 These Boots, Kaurismäki’s band of pompadoured “Finnish Elvis” rockers, the Leningrad Cowboys, cover a Nancy Sinatra classic in their signature deadpan style. It’s the perfect prelude to Jarmusch’s 1989 Mystery Train, a homage to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and the musical legacy of Memphis, featuring appearances by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Joe Strummer.

We all like to root for the underdog, especially if it is someone we, the audience, feel is being unjustly treated by a cruel, uncaring world. So, sitting down to Wilson, the film adaptation of Daniel Clowes’ graphic novel, we’re predisposed to cheer for the title character, especially as portrayed by Woody Harrelson.

Unfortunately, we get a soft, gooey portrayal of a misanthrope who brings much of the misery upon himself, surrounding himself with ill-defined characters. The 94 minute experience is at times uncomfortable and other times you shake your head at the missed opportunities.

The 2010 graphic novel is comprised of 70 single page gag strips about Wilson, inspired in part by his own father’s death as well as the relationship between Peanuts creator Charles Schulz and his father. Days and years pass in Wilson’s life between these vignettes forcing you to guess what has happened. In some ways, the film works in the same frustrating manner.

The film, out now from 20th Century Home Entertainment, focuses on Wilson, a down on his luck guy who loses his father to cancer then goes in search of his past by tracking his ex-wife where he learns the abortion that ended their marriage never happened. Instead, she gave away the child, now a teen, and they go in search of her.

Laura Dern looks appropriately strung out as Pippi, his ex, who is variously described as a crack whore and lunatic. She left Wilson, gave up her daughter, and tried to stay straight as a waitress. When Wilson finds her, she crumbles around whatever she originally found in him to love. As a result, she gives in all too readily and all too often, when he wants to love her or find their daughter and then pursue a relationship with her. Later, time passes and her situation changes with no real explanation, undercutting our appreciation for her struggles.

Harrelson gives the part his all, but is ill served by Clowes script. The story is fine but there’s little to like about Wilson, who is rude, arrogant, befuddled, and stressed out depending upon the scene. After being arrested for allegedly kidnapping Claire (Isabella Amara), he transitions to a three year stint at prison. There, he seems to find God or bond with every sub-culture in the prison population, softening his edges at last, so in the final act, he can find some solace. There’s a better story hidden under all this but Clowes won’t show us. His adaptations of Ghost World and Art School Confidential are far superior.

Had this been in the hands of a surer director, such as the originally-planned Alexander Payne, we might have been given that better movie. Instead, we get relative novice Craig Johnson, making just his third feature. Therefore, performances by Judy Greer, Cheryl Hines, and Margo Martindale are wasted.

We veer from slapstick to sentimental and the entire final portion of the film shifts tone into something sappy. The entire production lacks focus, direction, and even a point. As a portrait of a middle-aged man lost in the world, it has more promise than actual delivery.

Overall, the film looks and sounds fine on Blu-ray, coming as part of a Combo Pack that also includes a DVD and Digital HD code.

Given that the film was a box office and critical disappointment, it’s no surprise that there is a paucity of special features. We do get 15 Deleted Scenes, some of which would have helped the overall story but none are entirely missed. There are also a photo gallery and trailers.

Beginning next Friday, New York’s Metrograph will present a Terry Zwigoff retrospective that includes screenings of all five of his feature films. The weekend-long series begins with “Ghost World” and continues with “Louie Bluie,” “Art School Confidential” and “Bad Santa” before closing with his acclaimed documentary; Zwigoff will appear in person at each screening. Watch an exclusive trailer for the tribute below.

Read More: Nicolas Cage To Play A ‘Lost Melody’ For Terry Zwigoff Plus Watch A New Clip From ‘The Frozen Ground’

Here are some notes on the festivities in Metrograph’s own words: “Terry Zwigoff never seemed to belong to the careerist, wheeler-dealer world of the Sundance indie, and that’s part of his charm. Catapulted to prominence with ‘Crumb,’ his instant classic documentary on underground legend R. Crumb, Zwigoff went on to reel out a trio of blackly-comic fiction films which all together offer a jaundiced,...

by Spencer Coile

Daniel Clowes struck gold in 2001 when he wrote the screenpay for Ghost World, an adaptation of his graphic novel of the same name. Telling the story of self-identified outcast Enid (Thora Birch), his first screenplay toyed with themes pertaining to isolation, the dissolution of friendships, and lots and lots of teen angst. It was relatable and altogether melancholic, but importantly-- it all worked. Drawing from his own work (no pun intended), Clowes pulled together some all-too-familiar film tropes, and managed to subvert them in thoughtful and oftentimes amusing ways. After a return to the screen with another adaptation of his own work, Art School Confidential in 2006, Clowes layed low, working primarily on writing/drawing and short films. He's back with Wilson, now in theaters, pairing with The Skeleton Twins director Craig Johnson, for another foray into the hilariously damaged human spirit...

As the comic writer’s fantastically misanthropic work Wilson hits cinema screens, he talks about grief, Ghost World and surviving in Trumpland

Hey, Daniel. What was it like making a movie without Terry Zwigoff, who directed Ghost World and Art School Confidential, but isn’t in charge for Wilson?

With Terry, I was very much there the whole time in kind of a Coen brothers-ish scenario. We were bouncing ideas off each other and it felt fairly collaborative – for this one, I had decided I really had not enjoyed that process. I really like hanging out with Terry, we have fun together, but the actual process of making the movies was not at all fun for me. After the last one I thought, you know what, I’m just going to do what I do, write the script, hand it off and see what happens. My whole goal with this...

This week sees another comic book adaptation arrive at movie theatres, while the Lego Batman and Logan are still pulling audiences in at the multiplex. Ah, but this film is not another superhero slugfest (we’ll have three more of those from Marvel Studios, and two from Warner/DC by the year’s end). No this comes from the “upper classes” of illustrated narratives, those “serious and somber” graphic novels (kind of a “highfalutin'” moniker). Several prestige flicks have been based on such books, like The History Of Violence and The Road To Perdition (both earned Oscar noms). The “graphic artist” (hey, I’ll bet he’d prefer cartoonist) behind this new film is no stranger to cinema. Matter of fact, this is his third feature-length movie adaptation. The first was my personal favorite flick of 2001, the quirky Ghost World (no ectoplasmic apparitions, but a teenage Scarlett Johansson). Five years...

For nearly thirty years, Daniel Clowes has been at the forefront of San Francisco’s second wave of underground cartoonists, first making waves with his anthology comic, Eightball, which ran for fifteen years. One of the many serialized comic stories in that comic was Ghost World, which was turned into a popular indie movie in 2001, directed by Terry Zwigoff and starring a very, very young Scarlett Johansson.

Five years later, Zwigoff and Clowes reteamed for the comedy Art School Confidential, also based on an Eightball story, and around the same time, Clowes shifted away from Eightball to writing and drawing stand-alone graphic novels.

One of those graphic novels was 2010’s Wilson, which Clowes has now adapted into a movie starring Woody Harrelson as its cantankerous title character, who goes on a quest to reconnect with his ex-wife Pippy (Laura Dern), and find their now-teen daughter Claire (Isabella Amara). It’s...

Welcome back to the Weekend Warrior, your weekly look at the new movies hitting theaters this weekend, as well as other cool events and things to check out.

So we’re going to try something different this week, because the Weekend Warrior has been getting a little long in the tooth, and we’re worried that our busy readers may prefer shorter and more concise pieces. We’ll give this a try over the next few weeks and maybe I’ll write a little more when there’s a bigger movie opening.

How Will Power Rangers and Two Other Movies Fare Against Disney’s Beauty and the Beast?

This past weekend, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast reigned supreme with nearly $175 million--over $20 million more than my prediction (ouch!)--and even with a substantial drop this weekend, it’s unlikely that any of the three new movies will be able to...

Woody Harrelson is the life of this party, based on the graphic novel by Daniel Clowes, the indie-comics legend whose work has inspired one film landmark in 2001's Ghost World (forget Art School Confidential). Wilson is not in that movie's league by a long shot, though you couldn't imagine a better interpreter of Clowes' world than Harrelson. That mischief in the actor's eyes keeps us intrigued by the film's title character, a neurotic grouch who rails against the Internet and other plagues of the modern age. Wilson also hates people – his main enjoyment,...

Billy Crudup appeared in two Oscar-nominated films in 2016 — “Jackie” and “20th Century Women” — but he also appeared in the family drama “Youth in Oregon” opposite the Tony Award-winning actor Frank Langella. In the film, Langella stars as the 79-year-old curmudgeon Raymond who makes arrangements to be euthanized in Oregon, but his family refuses to accept his decision. When another family emergency arises, Raymond’s daughter’s husband Brian (Billy Crudup) ends up driving Raymond and his wife Estelle (Mary Kay Place) 3,000 miles to Oregon, but soon Brian tries to convince the old man to give life another chance. Watch an exclusive clip from the film below.

Read More: Tribeca Review: Frank Langella Can’t Save ‘Youth in Oregon’

The film is directed by Joel David Moore. He previously directed the films “Killing Winston Jones,” about a sixth grade English teacher who tries to get the newly constructed gym named after his elderly father,...

Can a film be both bitterly, bitingly misanthropic and kind of cuddly? Wilson (Grade: B) gives it a good college try. The film is based on the 2010 graphic novel by Daniel Clowes, who helped adapt some of his earlier works into a pair of big-screen comedies, Ghost World and Art School Confidential. With Wilson, he’s again translated one of his prickly studies of modern alienation to the screen, but without Terry Zwigoff—a kindred spirit of despair and bilious humor—behind the camera. Instead, the project has been helmed by Craig Johnson, director of the recent Sundance favorite The Skeleton Twins, and one can often sense it being pulled in divergent directions, toward the acid wit of its creator and toward something a little more charitable, a little more Fox Searchlight-friendly.

An uptick in humaneness, and in palatability, was possibly inevitable; behavior that readers can stomach from a ...

Cartoonist Dan Clowes is responsible for some of the best graphic novels and short comics stories of the past 25 years, two of which — “Ghost World” and “Art School Confidential” — ave been made into movies. But it’s his book “Wilson” that best represents his work as a whole. A character sketch about a chatty, reactionary misanthrope, “Wilson” is structured as a series of one-page comic strips, drawn in a variety of styles, which combine to tell a loose story.

Continue reading ‘Wilson’ Starring Woody Harrelson Is A Simplified Version Of A Much More Complicated Comic [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.

“Wilson” is pitched somewhere between “Bad Santa” and Rick Alverson’s “The Comedy,” inhabiting a familiar strain of American movies about profoundly unlikable people. It’s based on the 2010 graphic novel of the same name by Daniel Clowes, who excels at examining the lives of somber characters trapped in drab, isolating worlds. But even as the screenplay (which Clowes adapted) contains much of the source material’s pitch-black humor, it also falls short of realizing its subtle vision of an angry recluse learning to make peace with his surroundings.

A crazy-eyed Woody Harrelson portrays Wilson, a loudmouthed, middle-aged creep, and his performance captures the character’s fundamental appeal. Tackling this material was a tricky proposition, but the movie pulls off some endearing qualities thanks to director Craig Johnson, who last achieved a balance of gloomy comedy and a dark backdrop with “Skeleton Twins.” With “Wilson,” he appropriates the graphic novel...

Kayti Burt Jan 19, 2017

Starring Woody Harrelson, Wilson tells the story of one misanthrope's discovery that he has a 17-year-old kid. Here's a trailer...

Not all comic book adaptations are about superheroes. Take Wilson, the upcoming film adaptation of the Daniel Clowes graphic novel about a middle-aged, misanthropic loner who finds out he has a 17-year-old daughter.

Directed by Craig Johnson (The Skeleton Twins) and starring Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern, Judy Greer, Isabella Amara, Margo Martindale, and Cheryl Hines, Wilson just made its Sundance Film Festival debut, and will get a theatrical release on March 24th in the Us (no word on the UK yet). It comes from a script written by Clowes himself and, from the looks of the trailer below, the film includes much of the heart and cynicism of the original comic.

In addition to Wilson, Clowes is the man behind cult favorites like Ghost World and Art School Confidential.

This year’s Sundance Film Festival is mere days from unspooling in snowy Park City, Utah and, with it comes a brand new year of indie filmmaking to get excited about. As ever, the annual festival is playing home to dozens of feature films, short offerings and technologically-influenced experiences, and while there’s plenty to anticipate seeing, we’ve waded through the lineup to pick out the ones we’re most looking forward to checking out.

From returning filmmakers like Alex Ross Perry and Gillian Robesepierre to a handful of long-gestating passion projects and at least one film about a ghost, we’ve got a little something for every stripe of film fan.

Read More: Sundance 2017: Check Out the Full Lineup, Including Competition Titles, Premieres and Shorts

Ahead, check out 20 titles we’re excited to finally check out at this year’s festival.

“Landline”

The trifecta behind previous Sundance...

Daniel Clowes’ graphic novel “Patience” was praised by critics and spent 19 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller List. Now, Focus Features has announced that it has acquired the film rights to the book, with Clowes to pen the script.

“Patience” follows Jack, a man whose wife Patience is murdered and then falls into a deep pit of anger, grief and guilt. After ten years go by, he discovers a time machine that will allow him to fix the past and then plunges himself into a psychedelic journey through Patience’s past and the events that shaped her into the woman he knew and loved.

No additional details about the film were announced.

Read More: ‘Hard Boiled’: Tom Hiddleston and Ben Wheatley to Reunite on Frank Miller Comic Adaptation

Clowes is an Academy Award nominee in the Best Adapted Screenplay category for 2001’s “Ghost World,” based on his comic,...

With the latest headed to Sundance, it’s time to prep yet another Daniel Clowes work for the big screen. The next one being adapted is Patience, a story about loss and time travel released earlier this year. According to Deadline, Focus Features has acquired the rights to the graphic novel. Unsurprisingly, Clowes is going to write the screenplay for the film himself, as he did with Ghost World, Art School Confidential, and the upcoming Wilson.

Patience follows a man who goes back in time in an effort to figure out who murdered his wife—the titular character—and their unborn child. It’s billed as: “A Cosmic Timewarp Deathtrip To The Primordial Infinite Of Everlasting Love By Daniel Clowes.” While you wait for that one, Wilson, which stars Woody Harrelson, comes out March 3.

Comedy sequels are notoriously tough to pull off. Nobody will be satisfied by merely repeating jokes and gags from the original, but if you change the formula too much you risk alienating fans. Though it’s an inferior sequel, Bad Santa 2 balances that dilemma just enough to recommend. Director Terry Zwigoff’s original Bad Santa from way back in 2003, was an uproarious all-out assault on political correctness. Billy Bob Thornton played Willie Soke, a crass, vulgar drunken crook who, with his midget sidekick Marcus (Tony Cox), spent each Christmas working as a department store Santa with the aim of robbing their place of employment. Bad Santa was a misanthropic opposite to the season’s traditional batch of sugary sweet holiday stories. Now 13 years later comes the sequel. Zwigoff (who hasn’t made a film since 2006’s Art School Confidential) is out, replaced by Mark Waters, best known for Mean Girls,...

Chris here. Next year has more than enough to offer with comic book adaptations, but here's a first look at something outside of the superhero variety. From Daniel Clowes's graphic novel, Wilson stars Woody Harrelson as a rascally buffoon partnering up with an ex-wife (Laura Dern) to find the daughter she had put up for adoption. Fans of Clowes's Ghost World and Art School Confidential (both the films and graphic novels) can expect some off-kilter humor and sharp character study - with The Skeleton Twins director Craig Johnson taking the directing reigns from Terry Zwigoff.

Take a look at the Nsfw trailer and our Ynms thoughts after the jump...

Fox Searchlight Pictures has released the raucous red band trailer and first look photo from the upcoming R-rated road trip adventure Wilson, which is set for release on March 24, 2017. This outrageous comedy will be going up against two highly-anticipated films, Warner Bros.' King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and Lionsgate's Power Rangers. As you can see from the age-restricted trailer below, Wilson certainly isn't your typical comic book movie.

Woody Harrelson stars as Wilson, a lonely, neurotic and hilariously honest middle-aged misanthrope who reunites with his estranged wife (Laura Dern) and gets a shot at happiness when he learns he has a teenage daughter (Isabella Amara) he has never met. In his uniquely outrageous and slightly twisted way, he sets out to connect with her. The red band trailer from Fox Searchlight has no shortage of R-rated language.

The supporting cast includes Judy Greer, Cheryl Hines, James Saito, Tom Proctor,...

Okay, film fans let’s get serious. Really serious now. It’s September, so we’re done with all that summertime fluff. Though we’ll see another flick set in that galaxy far, far away in just a couple months, it’s now the season for those sober, somber awards contenders. And what better award bait than a literary adaptation. Y’know, bringing a big best-selling book to the big screen. This weekend another classy tome heads into theatres with The Light Between The Oceans. Oh, and the flick we’re about to discuss stars an actor who became the talk of the planet with his role in a steamy novel-turned-movie just last year. But’s what’s with this whimsical title, you may ask. Well, it may sound like a children’s story (like The Bfg) or even a “young adult” novel, but its focus quickly shifts to deceiving...

Actor-director Joel David Moore has signed with The Gersh Agency. Best known for his role in James Cameron’s Avatar, Moore’s other film credits include the films DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, Art School Confidential, Oliver Stone’s Savages, the biopic Cbgb, and Hatchet. His television credits include a 5-year arc on Fox’s Bones, and a series regular role on ABC’s Forever. He also recently wrapped filming opposite Sean Bean and Mary McCormack in director Jason…...

Actor-director Joel David Moore has signed with The Gersh Agency. Best known for his role in James Cameron’s Avatar, Moore’s other film credits include the films DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, Art School Confidential, Oliver Stone’s Savages, the biopic Cbgb, and Hatchet. His television credits include a 5-year arc on Fox’s Bones, and a series regular role on ABC’s Forever. He also recently wrapped filming opposite Sean Bean and Mary McCormack in director Jason…...

The work of Daniel Clowes already has a lineage with the Sundance Film Festival as it once served as the launchpad for the last “Clowes” graphic novel-to-film adaptation. There is a distinct chance that Wilson, a project that once had Alexander Payne attached to direct, will follow in the footsteps of Art School Confidential and carve out a little fest premiere before theatrical release. The film gods were kind to Craig Johnson with his break out, sophomore film The Skeleton Twins as it claimed the Sundance’s Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award and did some healthy box-office. The film demonstrated the flexible acting range of Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader in working with the more serious and humorous tonalities, and for Johnson it deftly displays how he excels in comedic and dramatic writing. Starring Judy Greer, Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern and Cheryl Hines, production took place in Minnesota this past June,...

Ok, it’s not an Alexander Payne project as it once was which is slightly less exciting, but we’re still looking forward to Fox Searchlight’s upcoming, “Wilson,” an adaptation of celebrated work by graphic novelist Dan Clowes. His dark, hilarious cynical touch begat many terrific graphic novels and so far, two solid film adaptations: “Ghost World” and “Art School Confidential,” both directed by Terry Zwigoff. Payne was supposed to direct the adaptation of Clowes’ “Wilson,” the script of which he wrote himself, but it appears he’s been caught up with other work. But in his stead is Craig Johnson, who won critical plaudits from Sundance 2014 with the indie “The Skeleton Twins.” “Wilson” already features Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern and joining the cast announced today are Judy Greer (“Arrested Development”) and Cheryl Hines (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”). Harrelson stars as Wilson, a lonely, neurotic and hilariously honest middle-aged misanthrope who reunites with his.

Daniel Clowes, creator of the incredible comic series Eightball, which launched the stories that led to the films Ghost World and Art School Confidential, will soon see his character Wilson on the big screen. This one has been in development for a while, and now has Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern set to star under the direction […]

The post Woody Harrelson Will Play Daniel Clowes’ ‘Wilson’ appeared first on /Film.

Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern are in talks for an adaptation of Daniel Clowes's graphic novel Wilson.

The True Detective and Fault in Our Stars actors are in negotiations for the film from Skeleton Twins director Craig Johnson, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Harrelson will take on the title role of the middle-aged misanthrope, who tries to connect with his troubled ex-wife (Dern) and estranged daughter, after the death of his father.

The story centres around his painful attempts to reform their family unit.

We say 'The Fault in Our Stars', but of course you all know Dern best from Jurassic Park. Harrelson will be seen in the upcoming The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, Triple 9 and By Way of Helena.

Clowes, who worked on the other previous films based on his work - Ghost World and Art School Confidential - wrote the script for Wilson.

Eccentric author and illustrator Daniel Clowes twice adapted his own funny-sad comic books to the screen for director Terry Zwigoff. Before 2006's "Art School Confidential," there was "Ghost World," the 2001 cult classic starring Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson as a pair of misanthropic misfits drifting out of high school and through their hilariously pathetic suburban wasteland world. Well, in a new interview with The Guardian, Clowes admits that he may want to revisit the beloved "Ghost World" characters that got him a screenplay Oscar nom (which, by the by, he should have won). Before appearing in book form in 1997, the "Ghost World" story was serialized throughout the '90s in his "Eightball" series, which gets the anthology treatment this July. "I’ve thought about doing the 'Ghost World' girls as adults," Clowes says. "I think one day I may just revisit all the characters. I may do something.

Way back in 2010, Fox was looking to adapt the Daniel Clowes (Ghost World, Art School Confidential) graphic novel Wilson for the big screen, and Alexander Payne was being eyed to direct the film. Payne won't be helming the movie, but THR has learned he is attached to the project as a producer, and The Skeleton Twins' Craig Johnson will direct from a script by Clowes. The site is also reporting... Read More...

Way back in 2010, Fox was looking to adapt the Daniel Clowes (Ghost World, Art School Confidential) graphic novel Wilson for the big screen, and Alexander Payne was being eyed to direct the film. Payne won't be helming the movie, but THR has learned he is attached to the project as a producer, and The Skeleton Twins' Craig Johnson will direct from a script by Clowes. The site is also reporting that Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern are in negotiations for the lead roles, and...

Nine years on from the last comic-to-screen adaptation of Daniel Clowes' work, things are finally coming together for Wilson. Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern are in talks to star in the film, which Clowes himself has scripted and Craig Johnson will direct. Sam Raimi is among the producers.The 2010 graphic novel revolves around the titular misanthrope: an opinionated loner who loves his dog but finds people harder to get along with. He tries though, often haranguing total strangers on a variety of subjects. But when his father dies, leaving him completely starved of human relationships, he sets out to find his junkie ex-wife, learns he has a teenage daughter he never knew about, and tries for a last haphazard stab at family life. Harrelson will play Wilson, with Dern his ex-wife. Clowes' previous excursions into film were Ghost World and Art School Confidential, both of which had Terry Zwigoff calling the shots.

Hugh Jackman has played Logan aka Wolverine in seven different films. It’s an impressive number that will shortly increase with a third solo Wolverine film and possibly X-Men:Apocalypse, although at the time of writing he has yet to be officially cast. A few other names are snapping at the heels of Jackman, notably the cast of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you include the forthcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron, Chris Evans has played Captain America four times (five if you include his appearance as Loki using magic to look like the first Avenger in Thor: The Dark World), Scarlett Johansson and Chris Hemsworth have portrayed Black Widow and Thor respectively four times each whilst the King of the McU, Robert Downey Jr. has made an impressive six appearances as Iron Man/Tony Stark (including his post-credit appearance in The Incredible Hulk).

Unfortunately for Hugh Jackman, as far as this article is concerned,...

News

Deadline reports that Ellen DeGeneres has sold a comedy to NBC about a lesbian who gets pregnant with her straight best friend just as he meets the love of her life.

Andrew Rannells will be returning to Girls this season and is expected to become a series regular if the HBO comedy is picked up for a fourth season.

Diane Keaton has bought the rights to remake Last Tango in Halifax for American TV, preferably for HBO.

And just to point out that our shows get adapted for other audiences, too, Nigerian TV is getting an African take on Desperate Housewives.

Lee Tergesen will be a part of The Following‘s second season, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It’s probably a good bet that his character won’t be what he initially seems.

Tergensen in The River.

Craig Ferguson is set to host Celebrity Name Game, a syndicated...

It's taken Terry Zwigoff seven years to fully recover from the debacle of Art School Confidential, a film he said "nearly ended my career." But now the Bad Santa and Ghost World director is ready to come roaring back with two new films in the works. The first, at one point called Justice For Al (though that title seems to have been dropped), stars Portlandia's Fred Armisen as a man framed for a crime and sentenced to house arrest in his parents' home. He recruits his childhood friends to help him clear his name and enact revenge, reliving ...

It’s been too long since we saw a film from director Terry Zwigoff. His movies have a cult following and Bad Santa, his most successful movie, has become a holiday staple. Seven years after his last feature, Art School Confidential, Zwigoff might be returning with Lost Melody. According to The Wrap, Nicolas Cage is set to star as “a man who's trapped in a marriage to a shrewish wife and falls in love with a prostitute.” It sounds fairly bland, but I’m assuming that logline doesn’t do justice to the tone and style Zwigoff has planned. It’s worth noting that a few weeks ago, we reported that Zwigoff had also signed on to direct Fred Armisen in an untitled comedy about “a man forced to grow up a second time.” The filmmakers are in the process of trying to finance that picture for a fall shoot.

It’s been seven long years since a Terry Zwigoff-helmed film has graced the silver screen -- 2006’s “Art School Confidential” was his last effort, which he said “nearly ended [his] career for good” -- but hot on the heels of his recently announced film with Fred Armisen, Zwigoff is mounting a second film and it looks like he has the interest of the incomparable Nicolas Cage. The Wrap is reporting that Cage is talks to star in “Lost Melody.” Set to be directed by Zwigoff -- and co-written by himself and Melissa Axelrod -- Cage would “play a man who’s trapped in a marriage to a shrewish wife and falls in love with a prostitute.” “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans” aside, Cage’s filmography has been mired with dreck lately but with David Gordon Green’s “Joe” on the horizon and now this, is...

Director Terry Zwigoff is not what anyone would call a prolific filmmaker, having started his career with 1985.s Howard Armstrong documentary Louie Bluie, only to follow it nine years later with 1994.s stellar biographical documentary Crumb. Since then? Just three narrative features - Bad Santa, Ghost World, and Art School Confidential - all of which retain differing amounts of cult value. And now here we are in July 2013, reporting the second potential Terry Zwigoff project to pop up just this summer. What, is he going all Terrence Malick now? Because we.d be perfectly fine with that. Not only is Zwigoff going back to the dark comedy genre he performs so wellin, he.s bringing in Nicolas Cage as his leading man, according to The Wrap. The film is titled Lost Melody, and will be produced by Edward R. Pressman and his Pressman Films imprint. In the film Cage will...

Nicolas Cage is in talks to star in Lost Melody for director Terry Zwigoff.

The story centers on a man stuck in a marriage to a shrew of a woman, whose life is upended when he falls in love with a prostitute. The man's wife and prostitute have not yet been cast at this time.

Terry Zwigoff is directing from a screenplay he co-wrote with Melissa Axlerod, who formerly served as the director's assistant on his 2003 comedy Bad Santa. Edward R. Pressman is producing, with Anthony Scaramucci and Jon Katz executive producing. Here's what Edward R. Pressman had to say about the project in a statement.

"When considering a project, I think it most important that the director and the film live in the same universe and Terry certainly achieves this with Lost Melody. I've always wanted to work with Terry and am excited to be teaming on a wonderful...

It has been seven long years since Terry Zwigoff's last film, "Art School Confidential," and as he told us  in our candid interview with him last year, it "nearly ended my career for good. It was very hard to get another film going after that. Still trying." Well, it looks like the wheels are finally in motion for Zwigoff to get back behind the camera. The Wrap reveals that "Portlandia" star and "Saturday Night Live" veteran Fred Armisen will star in Zwigoff's "Justice For Al," a project he co-wrote with Melissa Axelrod, who worked on both "Bad Santa" and "Ghost World." The story will center around a man who is framed for a crime, convicted, and sentenced to house arrest, living with his parents in his childhood home, and how, with the help of his friends, he seeks revenge on the person who set him up. It sounds a bit familiar and almost ordinary,...

Zach Braff’s sophomore feature, Wish I Was Here, has been progressing incredibly well in recent weeks.

Braff launched the project in April on Kickstarter, and after completing its goal within a matter of days, it was fully funded at just over $3m. at the end of last month.

With much of the leading cast already set, Braff has begun meeting with people to work on the other side of the camera alongside him, and after sitting down with Betsy Heimann, he’s announced that she’s officially on board to be the costume designer for Wish I Was Here.

Heimann’s career spans across three decades, and she has worked on some of the most memorable and acclaimed films over the years, including (but certainly not limited to) Reservoir Dogs, Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous, Vanilla Sky, Art School Confidential, Funny People, and what Braff notes is his personal favourite,...

This weekend in San Francisco, Sf Sketchfest, the people behind the San Francisco Comedy Festival, are producing a day's worth of holiday-themed programming at the historical Castro Theatre. The centerpiece of this day-long event is a director's cut screening of "Bad Santa," the insta-classic by "Ghost World" filmmaker Terry Zwigoff that stars Billy Bob Thornton as a boozing, thieving St. Nick. Zwigoff will be at the screening, along with Tony Cox (who plays Thornton's midget sidekick) and Lauren Tom (who played Cox's wife), to do a post-screening Q&A. We got the chance to talk to Zwigoff about the movie's surprising cultural longevity, where he's been since 2006's "Art School Confidential" (a "fiasco," according to Zwigoff), what projects he's been offered, what it was like working with the Coens (who produced "Bad Santa") and the Weinsteins (who produced and distributed via Dimension...

Tags: Morning BrewGia CarangiSandy LinterChicago FireIMDb

Good morning!

Today is National Transgender Day of Remembrance, and if you want to participate, check this site to find a vigil near you.

In some other remembering, out model Gia Carangi died 26 years ago yesterday and her ex-girlfriend Sandy Linter posted several video interviews about Gia's life. Here's one in which she shares some memories with model Carol Alt.

You can watch the rest over at Sandy's YouTube channel.

And if you want to watch even more cool videos, Ellen DeGeneres is part of the Makers series and she opens up about growing up, becoming a comedian and coming out. Here's one to get you started.

A new lesbian romantic comedy called Portrait of a Serial Monogamist is in the works and needs your help to get made. It has a kind of Exes & Ohs vibe to it.

Oh shoot. Look who is...