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So far, the most successful movies of the past few months (The Avengers, Men in Black III, Snow White and the Huntsman) have all been big-budget, special effects–heavy movies or sequels with established or well-known characters. Therein lies the challenge of marketing director Oliver Stone's upcoming adaptation of Savages. Despite being based on the novel by Don Winslow, Savages doesn't have the advantage of being based on known characters, yet, ironically, will have to contend with The Amazing Spider-Man on its opening weekend.
To help audiences become more familiar with the characters in Savages, Universal has released several character clips from the movie. All done in police interrogation-style interviews, which means that marijuana growers Ben (Aaron Johnson and Chon Taylor Kitsch) won't exactly be truthful about their business, and neither will Mexican drug cartel leader Elena Sanchez (Salma Hayek) and her enforcer Lado (Benicio del Toro). Ben and Chon's girlfriend O (Blake Lively), however, is willing to admit to her triumvirate relationship.
watch the videos >> Posted 06.14.12 by Ryan -
Director Oliver Stone's adaptation of Savages has a tough road ahead, competing against the highly anticipated The Amazing Spider-Man its opening weekend and family-friendly sequel Ice Age: Continental Drift the following week. It may seem cynical to think that the crime-thriller only has two weeks to make its mark on the box office, but the third week after Savages' release, The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters and will likely be dominating the box office.
Still, there must be a reason Universal decided to release Savages during tentpole season... The two latest TV spots provide some answers as they reveal explosions, weird masks, and rocket launchers while briefly describing a story about two marijuana growers (Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch) whose mutual girlfriend (Blake Lively) is kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel that the two friends refused to work with. Salma Hayek leads the cartel, and Benicio del Toro plays the mustachioed cartel enforcer who kidnaps Lively and forces the two friends to, as one of spots says, go to war.
watch the TV spots >> Posted 06.06.12 by Ryan -
Universal clearly has a lot of confidence in director Oliver Stone's adaptation of Savages. After seeing an early version of the movie in February, the studio decided to change the release date from September to July 6th, putting it in direct competition with The Amazing Spider-Man, which opens 3 days earlier. Now, we finally have our first look at Savages, as MTV has delivered the movie's first trailer.
Based on the 2010 novel from Don Winslow, Savages follows marijuana growers Ben (Aaron Johnson) and Chon (Taylor Kitsch), who refuse to join forces with a Mexican drug cartel led by Salma Hayek. The cartel sends an enforcer (Benicio del Toro) to kidnap the two friends' girlfriend (Blake Lively), which prompts the two friends to take down the cartel themselves in what looks to be an explosive showdown.
watch the trailer >> Posted 04.05.12 by Ryan -
The debate over whether or not Benicio del Toro (Traffic) would play the villain Khan Noonien Singh, in the highly-anticipated sequel Star Trek 2, kept the Internet lively for the past couple weeks. However, the debate is finally over as del Toro has dropped out of the sequel.
According to Vulture, negotiations with del Toro broke down between Paramount and the Academy Award–winning actor when the two sides couldn't agree on money. Director J.J. Abrams recently revealed his interest in working with del Toro on his highly-successful 2009 reboot of the Star Trek franchise, but will have to replace him instead.
the cast hasn't even read the script >> Posted 12.06.11 by Ryan -
No plot details have been offered yet about Star Trek 2 (working title), the highly-anticipated sequel to Paramount's 2009 reboot of the beloved franchise, but, if fans had their way, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) would be facing off against his most bitter nemesis: Khan Noonien Singh, the genetically-augmented superhuman played by Ricardo Montalbán in a 1967 episode of the original Star Trek series episode and again in the 1982 movie sequel Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
In 2009, Star Trek screenwriter Roberto Orci said that Khan's chances of showing up as the villain in the sequel were "50/50," which only fueled fan speculation that Benicio del Toro (Traffic) would play the role after the Academy Award–winning actor was reported to be director J.J. Abrams's "choice" to play the villain in the forthcoming sequel. Abrams confirmed his interest in the actor, but wouldn't reveal the role he was up far. "It's too early to talk about what the role is," Abrams said.
if not khan, who? >> Posted 12.04.11 by Ryan -
A stardate has been set for Star Trek 2. Again.
Paramount was looking to capitalize on the success of its 2009 Star Trek reboot shortly after it arrived on DVD, announcing a June 29, 2012 release last January. With no script or a commitment from director J.J. Abrams that he would return, eventually the studio handed over the release date to G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation.
when will Star Trek 2 arrive? >> Posted 11.24.11 by Ryan -
"Warp speed, Mr. Sulu. Engage!"
With a built-in cast of returning Starfleet heroes, the writers of the first Star Trek — Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof — banging away at the script, and director J.J. Abrams finally committed to return, the biggest question mark looming over Star Trek 2 (working title) is what menace Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Bones (Karl Urban) and the rest of the crew will be facing in the sequel. While the villain has yet to be revealed, Variety has reported that Academy Award-winner Benicio del Toro (Traffic) is Abrams' "choice" to play the big bad and that an offer is expected to be forthcoming.
who (or what) is the villain in Star Trek 2? >> Posted 11.06.11 by BrentJS -
ReelzChannel Celebrity Rundown
Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries got married on Saturday at a lavish ceremony that included a $15,000, 6-foot tall wedding cake, but Lindsay Lohan stole the show, doing shots while wearing an extremely low-cut white Temperley gown, the same one Pippa Middleton wore the night of the Royal Wedding.
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Casey Anthony is reportedly back in Florida, meeting with "spiritual advisers and therapists" as she prepares to report for probation in Orange County should her attorneys' appeal be denied.
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Hilary Duff has been dropped from The Story of Bonnie and Clyde due to her impending baby bump. The pregnant Duff, who announced the news last week, was to play the role of Bonnie Parker.
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Hugh Hefner's runaway bride Crystal Harris is back shopping for a reality TV gig and there's interest from multiple networks. The show will focus on Harris's career struggle after dumping Hef days before their planned wedding.
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The doctor who performed surgery on Taylor Armstrong's face the night she was beaten by her late husband Russell Armstrong did not report the incident to police, even though medical professionals are required to report suspected domestic abuse.
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They are denying they're back together, but Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller enjoyed a Mexican vacation together sans kids.
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The 66-year-old rocker Rod Stewart is now a grandfather. Former reality star Kimberly Stewart, his daughter with first wife Alana Collins, gave birth to a girl Sunday night in Los Angeles. The baby daddy is Benicio del Toro, who has been "looking forward to the baby's arrival," even though he's gone on record as saying that he is not dating or otherwise involved with Stewart.
Posted 08.22.11 by reelz -
Oliver Stone is putting together an appealing cast for his upcoming drama Savages, based on the novel by Don Winslow that follows two pot-dealing buddies who become involved with a Mexican drug cartel. When the cartel kidnaps their girlfriend, the two are forced to find a way to pay the ransom.
Last month, Taylor Kitsch (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) were cast respectively as Southern California pot growers Chon, an ex-Navy Seal, and Ben, an environmentally-conscious Berkeley grad. Benicio Del Toro was also cast last month as a drug enforcer named Lado, who works for a drug cartel matriarch, to be played by Salma Hayek.
The latest cast additions, according to Deadline, are Blake Lively (Green Lantern) as O, the kidnapped girlfriend, a role originally intended for Jennifer Lawrence until she won the lead role in The Hunger Games. Pulp Fiction and Be Cool co-stars John Travolta and Uma Thurman will reunite in the movie, with Travolta playing a burned out DEA agent named Dennis, and Thurman playing O's mom, Paqu. Then there's Emile Hirsch (Milk), whom Variety reports has also joined the cast in an unspecified role.
Production on Savages starts in July. Winslow adapted the screenplay with Shane Salerno (Shaft).
Posted 04.23.11 by Ryan -
ReelzChannel Celebrity Rundown
Another dance, another Dancing mishap for Kirstie Alley as she lost her shoe while waltzing with partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Last week Chmerkovskiy dropped Alley after buckling under the strain of her immense figure.
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Twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, both played by Armie Hammer in The Social Network, have lost their challenge to pull out of a settlement deal with Facebook and continue litigation to get more of what they think is theirs. Don't shed any tears for Cam and Ty, though. Their original settlement, valued at $65M, is now worth more than $160M due to the soaring value of the privately held company.
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Rihanna wants to shoot a video with Britney Spears for their "S&M" remix so she can spank her. On "S&M" Britney sings, "If I'm bad, tie me down. Shut me up, gag and bound me/'Cause the pain is my pleasure/Nothing comes better." So it sounds like she'd be up for it too.
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BABY REPORT:
* Tori Spelling is pregnant with her third child with husband Dean McDermott.
* Benicio del Toro is expecting a child with former reality star Kimberly Stewart, who is Rod Stewart's daughter.
* Scarlett Johansson is either plumping out or showing a baby bump while on a jog with boyfriend Sean Penn.
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89 year-old Betty White has picked a catfight with 24 year-old Lindsay Lohan saying she "cannot stand" celebrities like LiLo and Charlie Sheen who "party too much, don't learn their lines, are unprofessional and they grumble about everything." Lohan has fired back, "It's just a bit strange when people feel they must speak publicly about others. Especially a grown woman."
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The LAPD has recovered Nicolas Cage's copy of the first-ever Superman comic, now valued at over $1.5M. Cage is not a suspect in the theft and said he wants it back, but will have to return the insurance claim cash. Despite being one of the hardest working men in show business, Cage has had recent financial troubles, with two of his houses falling into foreclosure.
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He still doesn't have his own MTV spinoff show, but Jersey Shore's Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino took a Ferrari F430 Spider out for a test drive. No word on whether Sitch purchased the $200K car.
Posted 04.12.11 by reelz