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Shrek Forever After — now ominously known as Shrek: The Final Chapter — brings to a close the movie franchise that started in 1998. Or does it? The answer to that question is among top items we have to report from the press event with cast and producers. We've rounded up our favorites moments, which also include finding out how Jon Hamm almost almost ruined the movie and what inside joke made it to the big screen.
See Top 10 Highlights of the Shrek Forever After Press Junket >> Posted 05.20.10 by reelz -
DreamWorks' latest animated feature, Shrek Forever After, opens this week and to help promote it the studio has released two new featurettes and three new clips from the movie containing never-before-seen footage. In the fourth and final movie in the franchise, Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) finally has everything he's ever wanted in life — and then goes through a mid-life crisis of sorts and unwittingly signs a contract with the evil pint-sized dealmaker Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn) to live one day as the ogre he used to be before he was domesticated. As expected, the deal goes poorly for Shrek, who finds himself living in a twisted version of Far Far Away where ogres are hunted; his friends, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), don't know him; and he's never met his true love, Fiona (Cameron Diaz).
watch the featurettes and clips >> Posted 05.16.10 by BrentJS -
DreamWorks has unveiled two new teaser posters for Shrek Forever After, billed as "The Final Chapter" in the Shrek series. Both posters employ a clever turn of phrase, with one showing Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) in a predicament and the other spotlighting Shrek's new adversary, Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn).
When DreamWorks first introduced us to Shrek back in 2001, the big green curmudgeon was perfectly content to stay in his swamp being an ogre and doing ogre-type stuff. It took the kindness of the fair Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), who loved him for who he was on the inside, to soften his tough exterior. In the latest movie, with a plot reminiscent of the classic movie It's a Wonderful Life, Shrek gets a taste of what his life would be like if he never met Fiona. Here's the official synopsis:
After challenging an evil dragon, rescuing a beautiful princess and saving your in-laws' kingdom, what's an ogre to do? Well, if you're Shrek, you suddenly wind up a domesticated family man. Instead of scaring villagers away like he used to, a reluctant Shrek now agrees to autograph pitch forks. What's happened to this ogre's roar? Longing for the days when he felt like a “real ogre,” Shrek is duped into signing a pact with the smooth-talking dealmaker, Rumpelstiltskin. Shrek suddenly finds himself in a twisted, alternate version of Far Far Away, where ogres are hunted, Rumpelstiltskin is king and Shrek and Fiona have never met. Now, it's up to Shrek to undo all he's done in the hopes of saving his friends, restoring his world and reclaiming his one True Love.
Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas also return as the voices of Donkey and Puss in Boots, respectively.
Posted 03.26.10 by BrentJS -
A new update on Steven Soderbergh's spy flick Knockout: Dennis Quaid has dropped out of the project due to a scheduling conflict, according to The Playlist. Knockout centers around mixed martial arts star Gina Carano, and Quaid was slated to portray her character's father.
In negotiations to replace him is Bill Paxton, known best for his roles in Aliens and Apollo 13. He also had a memorable performance in Sam Raimi's thriller A Simple Plan.
The Playlist also writes that French actor Mathieu Kassovitz (Amelie, Munich) has joined the cast, which already includes Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, and Channing Tatum.
The story sees Carano as a black ops specialist, the other cast members as part of her team. She has to go on the run once she's betrayed, although it's unclear who the rat is. The movie is due out sometime in 2011.
Soderbergh has several other forthcoming projects, including the Spalding Grey documentary And Everything Is Going Fine, the biopic Liberace (starring Matt Damon alongside Michael Douglas in the title role), and Cleo, a musical retelling of the story of Cleopatra set in the 1920s and starring Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Posted 01.27.10 by reelz -
Just a few days ago, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender, and Dennis Quaid were all confirmed for Steven Soderbergh's upcoming movie Knockout.
Now, The Playlist writes that the project has one more confirmed addition, with another possibly to follow. Channing Tatum, who starred in Public Enemies and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, has officially signed on, and Antonio Banderas is in negotiations.
The movie, described as a "revenge action-spy thriller," centers around mixed-martial-arts champion Gina Carano, whose only previous movie-acting credit was Blood and Bone with Michael Jai White.
Carano and the mentioned cast members play members of a special teams unit who start off as allies, but gradually turn on each other as the story advances. The Playlist has extensive details about the roles of each actor and some plot details.
Soderbergh has several other forthcoming projects, including the Spalding Grey documentary And Everything Is Going Fine, the biopic Liberace (starring Matt Damon alongside Michael Douglas in the title role), and Cleo, a musical retelling of the story of Cleopatra set in the 1920s and starring Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Posted 01.11.10 by reelz -
Always secretive about his upcoming projects, Woody Allen has released just a little teaser about his next movie, reported in THR. Called You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger, the movie will star Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, Gemma Jones, Lucy Punch, and Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto. Punch was called in to replace Nicole Kidman, who dropped out over a schedule conflict.
Not many details so far on the plot, other than it revolves around various members of a family and their mixed-up love lives. Meaining, it's a bit hard at this point to differentiate it from any number of other Allen flicks, except perhaps for the bold title.
Allen recently told the Telegraph that fans can tell ahead of time which of his movies will be good just by what they're called.
I never title a movie until it's finished because if I look at the film and it's no good I don't like to give it an aggressive title, I give it what I call one of my hiding titles — the kind of title that is low-key and promises nothing, so people are less disappointed by it. But if I feel the film is good, I give it an aggressive, confident title and then hope for the best.
Well, this latest title certainly does seem to be promising something. So, if this method really holds any water, Allen's latest movie just might be one of his better efforts. You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger is slated for a fall 2010 release.
Posted 10.26.09 by reelz -
Variety reports that Woody Allen has chosen British actress Lucy Punch to star in his latest movie, which will be shot in London. Punch replaces Nicole Kidman, who had to withdraw due to a scheduling conflict with John Cameron Mitchell's The Rabbit Hole, which she is starring in and producing. Details of the plot of Allen's movie are unclear, but according to sources, Punch may play an escort similar to the one made famous by the Eliot Spitzer scandal.
Punch's previous credits include Being Julia, Hot Fuzz, Young Americans, and CBS's sitcom The Class She joins a cast that includes Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas, Naomi Watts, and Freida Pinto.
Posted 05.30.09 by reelz