Trailer for Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Hollywood Debut, 'Broken Horses', starring Anton Yelchin

When James Cameron and Alfonso Cuaron make the kinds of glowing statements they've made about Broken Horses, maybe the rest of us should start paying attention. Directed by acclaimed 62-year-old Indian director Vidhu Vinod Chopra (1942 A Love Story) as his first true Hollywood effort, the film features a largely American cast consisting of Anton Yelchin, Vincent D'Onofrio, Sean Patrick Flannery, Thomas Jane, Chris Marquette, Wes Chatham, and Maria Valverde. With the first trailer now hitting screens in India and a U.K. release coming next April, we're getting a look at why Cameron calls the film an "artistic triumph".

What do we know about the plot? It's been kept quiet for the most part, but it's said to be “about the relationship between two brothers —a concert-level violinist and a hired mercenary— and is set against the drug war in the turbulent American-Mexican border, and about how wrong choices can destroy lives and everything one loves.”

Hopefully getting the word out early will help secure a big enough stateside release that we'll all have a chance to check Broken Horses out and introduce Chopra's work to a larger audience.


Broken Horses - Teaser [VO] by Filmosphere

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Alfonso Cuaron Turns Down 'Harry Potter' Spinoff 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'

Fans of the Harry Potter franchise were ecstatic when it looked as if Oscar winning director Alfonso Cuaron, who directed the popular Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, would return to the franchise for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. But sadly it seems he's had a change of heart and won't be returning to the Wizarding World after all. Cuaron tells the Global Post...

Cuaron: "I have a lot of love for that universe, and I tremendously admire J.K. Rowling, but today, for the present, projects based around lots of visual effects don't attract me. I'm coming out of a five-year process of doing visual effects and now I sort of want to clean my palate of that a little bit."

And that makes a certain degree of sense after Cuaron directed Gravity, a film that required incredible amounts of technological precision and heavy visual effects work. There probably won't be too many people complaining if he returns to the smaller, character-driven work from earlier in his career. So the search is on for another to direct J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which is to open on November 18th 2016

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Alfonso Cuaron in Talks to Direct 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'

It may seem like a lifetime ago but Warner Bros.' Harry Potter franchise didn't get off to the most solid of footing. Chris Columbus directed the first two films and while they performed well at the box office, creatively they were lacking the magic of J.K. Rowling's books. It wasn't until Alfonso Cuaron came aboard with The Prisoner of Azkaban and injected a maturity and wonder into the series that it really took off and never looked back. And maybe Rowling recognizes that and wants to get her Harry Potter spinoff, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, off on the right foot.

According to Nikki Finke (hey, forgot about her), Cuaron is in "deep talks" to direct the spinoff, which is envisioned as a trilogy set 70 years before the arrival of young Harry Potter. The story is inspired by the titular textbook and follows the adventures of magizoologist Newt Scamander, exploring the many magical creatures and characters that will be familiar to fans of Rowling's books and movies.

Cuaron is coming off seven Academy Award win for Gravity, including one for Best Director. He's familiar with the wizarding world and said last year he may be interested in returning to direct the spinoff...

Cuaron: "Akzaban was fun to make, and when I did it, I was invited to do the next one, but I didn’t want to overstay the welcome, because it was such an experience. But now? Why not? I do have stuff that I want to do [next], but a J.K. thing ..."

Looks like that's exactly what is going to happen. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is set to open November 18th 2016.

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71st Annual Golden Globes: 'American Hustle' Wins Three Awards, '12 Years A Slave' Wins Best Drama

The 71st Annual Golden Globes are now in the books, one of the last major steps on the road to the Academy Awards, and there are a couple of surprises that are all tied in together. Probably the biggest of all is that 12 Years A Slave, which had come in as the favorite over the last few months, only managed one win for Best Drama, leading many on social media to wail that the film was mere moments away from being totally shut out.

The big victor of the night was David O. Russell's American Hustle with three, including Best Picture Comedy/Musical, Best Actress-Comedy for Amy Adams, and Best Supporting Actress for Jennifer Lawrence. The momentum for Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club continued as he defeated Chiwetel Ejiofor for Best Actor-Drama, while his co-star Jared Leto won Best Supporting actor. Despite the film earning its share of criticism, Leonardo DiCaprio won Best Actor-Comedy for Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street. As many predicted, Alfonso Cuaron won Best Director for Gravity, overcoming stiff competition from Steve McQueen and O. Russell.

In their second year as hosts, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler began the night with a scathing and pin-point opener skewering many of the guests, especially ripping George Clooney for his infamous ageism. Tom Hanks was especially in the duo's comedic sights for some reason, and yeah there were plenty of off-the-wall, possibly alcohol-fueled acceptance speeches. In particular Jacqueline Bissett, winning for TV miniseries Dancing on the Edge, gave a sputtering, angry speech that had to be censored for vulgarity.

How will all of this affect the Oscar nominations next week? If anything, it shows that 12 Years A Slave's seeming grip on the top honors is slipping.

The full list of winners is below:

Best Motion Picture - Drama
WINNER: "12 Years a Slave"
"Captain Phillips"
"Gravity"
"Philomena"
"Rush"

Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical
WINNER: "American Hustle"
"Her"
"Inside Llewyn Davis"
"Nebraska"
"The Wolf Of Wall Street"

Best Director
WINNER: Alfonso Cuaron - "Gravity"
Paul Greengrass - "Captain Phillips"
Steve McQueen - "12 Years a Slave"
Alexander Payne - "Nebraska"
David O Russell - "American Hustle"

Best Actress - Drama
WINNER: Cate Blanchett - "Blue Jasmine"
Sandra Bullock - "Gravity
Judi Dench - "Philomena"
Emma Thompson - "Saving Mr Banks"
Kate Winslet - "Labor Day"

Best Actor - Drama
WINNER: Matthew McConaughey - "Dallas Buyers Club"
Chiwetel Ejiofor - "12 Years a Slave"
Idris Elba - "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom"
Tom Hanks - "Captain Phillips"
Robert Redford - "All Is Lost"

Best Actress - Comedy
WINNER: Amy Adams - "American Hustle"
Julie Delpy - "Before Midnight"
Greta Gerwig - "Frances Ha"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - "Enough Said"
Meryl Streep - "August: Osage County"

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical
WINNER: Leonardo DiCaprio - "The Wolf of Wall Street"
Christian Bale - "American Hustle"
Bruce Dern - "Nebraska"
Oscar Isaac - "Inside Llewyn Davis"
Joaquin Phoenix - "Her"

Best Supporting Actress
WINNER:  Jennifer Lawrence - "American Hustle"
Sally Hawkins - "Blue Jasmine"
Lupita N'yongo - "12 Years a Slave"
Julia Roberts - "August: Osage County"
June Squibb - "Nebraska"

Best Supporting Actor
WINNER: Jared Leto - "Dallas Buyers Club"
Barkhad Abdi - "Captain Phillips"
Daniel Bruhl - "Rush"
Bradley Cooper - "American Hustle"
Michael Fassbender - "12 Years a Slave"

Best Screenplay
WINNER: Spike Jonze - "Her"
Bob Nelson - "Nebraska"
Jeff Pope & Steve Coogan - "Philomena"
John Ridley - "12 Years a Slave"
Eric Warren Singer & David O. Russell - "American Hustle"

Best Foreign Film
WINNER: "The Great Beauty"
"Blue Is The Warmest Color"
"The Hunt"
"The Past"
"The Wind Rises"

Best Animated Feature
WINNER: "Frozen"
"The Croods"
"Despicable Me 2"

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
WINNER: Alex Ebert - "All Is Lost
Alex Heffes - "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom"
Steven Price - "Gravity"
John Williams - "The Book Thief"
Hans Zimmer - "12 Years a Slave"

Best Original Song - Motion Picture
WINNER: "Ordinary Love" - U2 - "Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom"
 "Atlas" - Coldplay - "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"
"Let It Go - Idina Menzel - "Frozen"
"Please Mr. Kennedy" - Justin Timberlake & co - "Inside Llewyn Davis"
"Sweeter Than Fiction" - Taylor Swift - "One Chance"

Best TV Series - Comedy/Musical
WINNER: "Brooklyn Nine Nine"
"Girls"
"Big Bang Theory"
"Modern Family"
"Parks and Recreation"

Best Miniseries Or Motion Picture Made For Television
WINNER: "Behind the Candelabra"
"American Horror Story: Coven"
"Dancing On The Edge"
"Top of the Lake"
"The White Queen"

Best TV Drama
WINNER: "Breaking Bad"
"Downton Abbey"
"The Good Wife"
"House of Cards"
"Masters of Sex"

Best Actress - Drama TV Series
WINNER: Robin Wright - "House of Cards"
Julianna Margulies - "The Good Wife"
Tatiana Maslany - "Orphan Black"
Taylor Schilling - "Orange Is the New Black"
Kerry Washington - "Scandal"

Best Actor - TV Drama
WINNER: Bryan Cranston - "Breaking Bad"
Liev Schreiber - "Ray Donovan"
Michael Sheen - "Masters of Sex"
Kevin Spacey - "House of Cards"
James Spader - "The Blacklist"

Best Actress - Miniseries
WINNER: Elisabeth Moss - "Top of the Lake"
Helena Bonham-Carter - "Burton & Taylor"
Rebecca Ferguson - "The White Queen"
Jessica Lange - "American Horror Story: Coven"
Helen Mirren - "Phil Spector"

Best Actor - Miniseries
WINNER: Michael Douglas - "Behind the Candelabra"
Matt Damon - "Behind the Candelabra"
Chiwetel Ejiofor - "Dancing On the Edge"
Idris Elba - "Luther"
Al Pacino - "Phil Spector"

Best Actress - Comedy TV Series
WINNER: Amy Poehler - "Parks and Recreation" 
Zooey Deschanel - "New Girl"
Lena Dunham - "Girls"
Edie Falco - "Nurse Jackie"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - "Veep"

Best Actor - Comedy TV Series
WINNER: Andy Samberg - "Brooklyn Nine Nine"
Jason Bateman - "Arrested Development"
Don Cheadle - "House of Lies"
Michael J. Fox - "The Michael J. Fox Show"
Jim Parsons - "The Big Bang Theory"

Best Supporting Actor - TV
WINNER: Jon Voight - "Ray Donovan"
Josh Charles - "The Good Wife"
Rob Lowe - "Behind the Candelabra"
Aaron Paul - "Breaking Bad"
Corey Stoll - "House of Cards"

Best Supporting Actress - TV
WINNER: Jacqueline Bisset - "Dancing On the Edge"
Janet McTeer - "The White Queen"
Hayden Panetierre - "Nashville"
Monica Potter - "Parenthood"
Sofia Vergara - "Modern Family"

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'12 Years A Slave' Wins Big at DC's WAFCA Awards

The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association, of which we are proud members, revealed their winners of the 12th annual WAFCA Awards, and the critics of the Nation's Capital heaped their praise upon Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave. The slavery won a staggering six awards, the most in the group's history, claiming Best Film, Best Actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Ensemble, and continuing Lupita Nyong'o's surge with a win for Best Supporting Actress.

A consensus continues to build around Cate Blanchett's jittery performance in Blue Jasmine, adding to the three Best Actress victories she scored over the weekend. One of the rare losses for 12 Years A Slave came in the Best Director category where Alfonso Cuaron won for his staggering sci-fi epic, Gravity, which also gave cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki another award to place on his mantle. The group chose Disney's Frozen over the somewhat polarizing The Wind Rises for Best Animated Feature, and Oscar-favorite Jared Leto won for his transformative performance in Dallas Buyers Club. The inaugural Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington DC was given to Lee Daniels' The Butler, earning the acclaimed historical drama its only victory. 

The full list of winners is below.

Best Film:
12 Years a Slave

Best Director:
Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity)

Best Actor:
Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)

Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

Best Supporting Actor:
Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Supporting Actress:
Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)

Best Acting Ensemble:
12 Years a Slave

Best Youth Performance:
Tye Sheridan (Mud)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
John Ridley (12 Years a Slave)

Best Original Screenplay:
Spike Jonze (Her)

Best Animated Feature:
Frozen

Best Documentary:
Blackfish

Best Foreign Language Film:
The Broken Circle Breakdown

Best Art Direction:
Production Designer: Catherine Martin, Set Decorator: Beverley Dunn (The Great Gatsby)

Best Cinematography:
Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, A.M.C. (Gravity)

Best Editing:
Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger (Gravity)

Best Original Score:
Hans Zimmer (12 Years a Slave)

The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC:
Lee Daniels' The Butler

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'Gravity' Tie-In Short Film to be Released On the DVD/Blu-Ray

Alfonso Cuaron's long-awaited sci-fi thriller Gravity is in theaters right now, and critics have already judged it as a groundbreaking masterpiece. It currently sits at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and my own review was certainly laden with a few superlatives. The story is pretty simple, with George Clooney and Sandra Bullock as astronauts attempting to get home after being left adrift in deep space. But there is more to their journey than we get to see on the big screen, so if you don't want to have any part of the film spoiled it's probably a good idea to stop reading now.

Jonas Cuaron, Alfonso's son and co-writer, directed a short film titled Aningnaaq, which serves as a Gravity companion piece. At a certain point in the film, Bullock's character Dr. Ryan Stone is left alone and, while in a space station attempting to reach Mission Control, she ends up making contact with Aningnaaq (Orto Ignatiussen), an Inuit ice-fisher in Greenland. The two don't speak the same language, and all we really pick up on are the sounds of babies crying and dogs barking in the background, but Stone and Aningnaaq do end up communicating in a sense. It's one of the most touching moments in a film full of numerous triumphs.

The 7-minute film played at the Venice Film Festival, inexplicably in front of We're the Millers (!?!), and chances are those who saw it had no idea it was connected to Gravity.  While it won't be appearing on the big screen, we can expect the short to be a part of the Gravity DVD/Blu-Ray special features. Here's the official synopsis:

 Aningaaq, an Inuit fisherman camping on the ice over a frozen fjord, talks through a two way radio with a dying astronaut who is stranded in space, 500 kilometers above earth. Even though he doesn’t speak English and she doesn’t speak Greenlandic, they manage to have a conversation about dogs, babies, life and death. [RopesofSilicon]

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Review: 'Gravity', Starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney

If the measure of a film's true greatness is how deeply it immerses you into a world we're unlikely to experience in reality, then Gravity is purely, simply one of the best movies ever made. Technically brilliant and emotionally devastating, it stands as a crowning achievement in the realm of science-fiction and a master stroke by director Alfonso Cuaron seven years after his mesmerizing Children of Men.  Every breathtaking moment is the closest any of us are likely to ever come to being out in the murky, beautiful, and lonely expanse of deep space.

With a seamless ease of motion capturing the gut-wrenching weightlessness of zero gravity, Cuaron introduces the characters with whom we will embark on this incredible journey. Sandra Bullock is Dr. Ryan Stone, a nervous scientist working on the Hubble Telescope alongside George Clooney as chatty and instantly likable veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky. In-between sharing stories with the folks in Houston mission control we learn that that this is Kowalsky's final mission before retirement. "Houston, I have a bad feeling about this mission" he jokes, perhaps echoing our own thoughts based on hundreds of "one final mission" movies we've sat through over the years. It all feels so natural, moves so elegantly you barely notice that more than ten minutes have passed and Cuaron hasn't cut a single frame, taking the single-tracking technique he's known for to glorious new heights.

It's easy to get sucked into the beauty of the imagery, the floating calm and the relative silence, but that comfort comes with the realization that something terrible has to happen. And it does in epic fashion as the destruction of a satellite launches a wave of debris that destroys everything in its path. Their shuttle destroyed, the crew dead, and Mission Control hopelessly out of reach, Kowalsky and Stone are stranded in a sea of darkness with only minutes of air between them. The rest of the film is a simple battle for survival, although nothing about it proves to be simple at all. With only 90 minutes until the next and likely fatal debris wave, the film unfolds in real-time as the two make their way from one trashed space station to the next looking for whatever can get them back to Earth.

Cuaron understands the magnitude of what these two characters are facing. One false move will leave them drifting helplessly forever in nothingness, slowly dying miles away from everything and everybody you ever cared about. Could there be a worse fate? The threat of such a horrifying end is the engine that drives every decision, and makes every obstacle in their path all the more threatening. You'll never want a tether to hold its grip more, or for an oxygen tank to keep one more gulp of air. There are no invading extraterrestrials (although Marvin the Martian makes a funny "cameo"); the real danger comes from indecisiveness, inaction, and a lack of perseverance. 

It's Cuaron and his co-writer/son Jonas' emphasis on making this a story about human fears, strengths, and weaknesses that elevates it above just another action flick. While Dr. Stone begins as something of a side character to Kowalsky's heroic do-gooder in the beginning, her tragic past is revealed quietly and efficiently throughout until we completely understand what motivates her, and what scares her the most. Bullock has never been better, displaying a vulnerability, determination, and sense of humor while stuck inside of a bulky astronaut suit. Underneath all of the jokes and provocative teasing, Clooney shows a fatherly instinct as Kowalsky guides Stone through her justifiable panic.

Although he directed Children of Men and the best Harry Potter film, 'Prisoner of Azkaban', Cuaron has yet to achieve the notoriety he has long deserved. Don't expect that to last much longer.  There has never been a film that looked a technically perfect as Gravity, but more importantly there has never been a film that feels quite like this. The physics of spaceflight are rendered flawlessly, or as much as we can possibly imagine them to be, and it never falters as Cuaron and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki artfully shift our perspective. Every scene, every angle, is presented with a very clear purpose; there are no wasted movements. Nor is there a single sound that doesn't carry some dramatic impact. In the heavy silence of space Steven Price's incredible score sets a mood that will leave you gasping for breath, but it's most effective during the "quiet" moments, while it can become overbearing during the biggest sequences, especially towards the finale. The conclusion as a whole is a touch melodramatic and threatens to break the carefully-constructed realism, but it never quite reaches that point and is wholly satisfying when all is said and done.

Perhaps the most impressive thing is all the troubles Cuaron had even getting Gravity made, spending the better part of a year trying to find a cast (Robert Downey Jr. and Natalie Portman were attached at one point, amongst many others) and suffering some major production delays that would have killed other films. To come out of all that to create a visceral experience that defies expectations and pushes cinema to a whole new level is truly extraordinary. Only an extraordinary director like Cuaron could hope to pull it off. There has never been a movie like Gravity before, and it may be a long time before we see its like again, so run out and see this instant classic as soon as possible.

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Final Trailer for Alfonso Cuaron's 'Gravity'

Let's just say that the response to Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity has been nothing short of phenomenal. Premiering at Venice recently, Cuaron's first film in seven years currently stands at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, generally a pretty good measure of what the critics are feeling. And while the rest of us have a few more weeks to wait, a tantalizing new trailer (in 2K HD) has been released.

Prior trailers have really sold the drama and the terror behind the destruction of the space station that strands two astronauts (Sandra Bullock and George Clooney) in deep space with barely a lifeline. This one puts more of the sizzling visuals on displays, but also gives us a hint of the interpersonal connection between the two, which is going to be essential since they are basically the only two characters we will be encountering.

Gravity takes off on October 4th, and I can't wait.

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Another Harrowing Clip from 'Gravity'

Is Warner Bros. showing too much of Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity, months before it's due to hit theaters? It does seem as if the studio is anxious to capitalize on the extraordinary Comic-Con buzz, and the last couple of days they've been releasing one harrowing clip after another, showing how Cuaron is effectively using a continuous tracking shots to drum up tension. Now as we're receiving even more pulse-pounding footage, we see that Cuaron has more than one trick up his sleeve.

In this scene, which seems to take place sometime between the previous two, we see the tethered astronauts played by George Clooney and Sandra Bullock as they struggle to reconnect with their space station after a disaster in deep space. Visually, the film is absolutely stunning, and should be breathtaking in IMAX 3D, but the dramatically building score is just as impressive.

Gravity hits theaters on October 4th, but will play the Toronto and Venice film festivals first.


Gravity - I've Got You Trailer [VO|HD] by addictomovie.com

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Sandra Bullock Drifts Through Space in New 'Gravity' Clip

Perhaps emboldened by the reaction out of Comic-Con, Warner Bros. is going all out to push for Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity. Late last night they released a terrifying long take trailer for the film, in which we see the event that ends with Sandra Bullock's character detached from her space station and set adrift through space. The latest, extremely claustrophobic clip picks up where that left off, as she tries desperately to communicate with home base, even though it appears all is already lost. Cuaron is doing something really special here, using his camera to capture not only the wide expanse of space, but the lack of physical constraints it implies.

Gravity co-stars George Clooney and hits theaters on October 4th.



Gravity - Drifting Trailer [VO|HD] by addictomovie.com

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Intense Continuous Shot Trailer for Alfonso Cuaron's 'Gravity'

Outside of some of the most obvious blockbusters, the film that earned the biggest reaction from the Comic-Con crowd was Alfonso Cuaron's deep space thriller, Gravity. Besides the presence of Sandra Bullock on stage, talking about just how dangerous the extensive shoot really was, those in attendance were also treated to an incredible few minutes of footage, all done in one continuous take, just like the memorable scene in Cuaron's Children of Men.

Now some of what was shown in Hall H is available in an intense new trailer. Thrusting us right in the middle of a NASA disaster as a space shuttle collides with a space station during a routine procedure, we see George Clooney as astronaut Matt Kowalsky and Bullock as Ryan Stone as they try to keep a handle on the situation as silent chaos (there's no sound in space) breaks out around them. Cuaron seems to be at the top of his game here, and it'll be something to see how this looks in IMAX 3D.

Gravity opens on October 4th, and if you're interested in checking out the Comic-Con panel, it's also below.

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First trailer for Alfonso Cuaron's 'Gravity' starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock

When Alfonso Cuaron first began putting the pieces together for his ambitious new sci-fi film, Gravity, it looked a lot different than it does now. Initially Robert Downey Jr. and Angelina Jolie were set to star, but that fell through and a virtual who's who of Hollywood actresses passed through the female lead, among those were Natalie Portman, Naomi Watts, Marion Cotillard, and Scarlett Johansson. Ultimately, Sandra Bullock won the role, and George Clooney slid in to be her co-star, making for a powerful pair.

After we were treated to a sneak peek of the teaser a couple of days ago, the first full trailer for Gravity has been released, and it certainly looks like the sort of ambitious project one would expect from the director of the classic Children of Men. Reportedly opening with an incredible, 17-minute tracking shot,  you don't see any hint of that here, but the spectacle of it all is certainly well on display. The film follows two astronauts who must make the dangerous journey back to Earth when their crew is killed and their shuttle destroyed during a space walk.

So what do you think? Are you impressed? Should we start looking at Gravity as a potential Oscar threat? Look for it to hit theaters on October 4th.

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Brief teaser footage from Alfonso Cuaron's 'Gravity' with George Clooney and Sandra Bullock

After years of development, some casting hurdles, and a lot of visual effects tinkering, Alfonso Cuaron's anticipated sci-fi epic Gravity is finally heading to theaters this fall. The trailer is expected to hit in full tomorrow, but for now we have one of those really obnoxious Entertainment Tonight teases, which offer up a few seconds of footage featuring stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock. Check out the plot and the clip below...

Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney). But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone—tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth...and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.



Based on everything we've heard, this is going to be a quieter affair, probably along the lines of something like Solaris. The special effects budget is huge, though, and has been compared to Avatar in terms of scope. We'll see if that turns out to be true when Gravity opens in 3D and IMAX on October 4th.

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Are Alfonso Cuaron and Simon Pegg joining the 'Star Wars' universe?

Ready for your daily dose of Star Wars rumors? They're all potential whoppers at this point, and this one's no different. Jim Dorey over at Marketsaw (via Bleeding Cool) has been pretty good over the years with dropping huge scoops on major films, most of which turned out to be spot on. He predicted there would be another Star Wars trilogy a few years ago, although that could have just been a lucky guess. Still, he's consistent enough that when he drops a nugget of info, it needs to be paid attention to. His latest has director Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) involved in a future Star Wars film.

He doesn't give much more info on it than that, and definitely doesn't specify which film it could be. Cuaron, who directed the strongest chapter of the Harry Potter series, would be a prime candidate to direct Episode VIII or IX, or maybe one of the spinoffs. Pegg has peppered Star Wars references throughout his many films and his show, Spaced, so we know he's a fan. Maybe he and director J.J. Abrams were kicking around geeky Star Wars talk while on the set of Star Trek Into Darkness?

Dorey goes on to back up earlier reports of the Solo/Skywalker kids being the focus of the new trilogy, with a philosophical split emerging similar to Luke and Vader, then Anakin and Obi Wan.

This may or may not pan out, but it'd be pretty cool if it does. Cuaron's Gravity and Pegg's The World's End both hit theaters this October.

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Alfonso Cuaron's 'Gravity' lands October release date

How long have we been waiting for Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity, anyway? Two years? Three years? The production problems are well-documented at this point, up to and including getting knocked off of last year's schedule entirely. More than six years after his awesome Children of Men, we can finally expect to see Gravity hitting theaters this October 4th.

Starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, the VFX-heavy, ambitious project follows a pair of astronauts trying to get back to Earth after a spacewalking accident destroys their space station. Shot in 3D, the film is said to feature an incredible 20-minute opening tracking shot. Cuaron used them to amazing effect in Children of Men, so I'm anxious to see how he employs it now with a bigger budget and grander scope.  Hopefully we'll start getting some images and a trailer soon.

That weekend is jam-packed, with Gravity facing off against Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, The Delivery Man with Vince Vaughn, Paranoia with Gary Oldman, and the 3D re-release of Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith. Which will you be seeing that weekend?

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Official synopsis revealed for Alfonso Cuaron's sci-fi film, 'Gravity'!

We joke about movies like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies or Akira having a hell of time getting ramped up due to casting troubles, but those pale in comparison to what Alfonso Cuaron went through with Gravity back in 2010. The super secret sci-fi flick began as a project for Angelina Jolie, with Robert Downey Jr. in the only other major role. Jolie would eventually drop out, to be replaced by Natalie Portman, until she too skipped town. The female role is said to be the most important in the film, requiring an actress audiences can relate to because she'll be alone on screen for the bulk of the story. While Warner Brothers struggled to find an actress, the delays caused Downey Jr. to drop out and pursue other projects. He was ultimately replaced by George Clooney.

Pretty much every actress in Hollywood worth a hill of beans was mentioned for the lead: Blake Lively, Scarlett Johansson, Marion Cotillard, Sienna Miller, Abbie Cornish, and many more. But the studio ultimately decided on Sandra Bullock, even though many were unhappy with the decision. She's a well-known star capable of butting butts in seats, which might be necessary for a film that doesn't sound like your average, action intensive sci-fi film. This is the guy who gave us Children of Men, after all. What we've known so far is that the film deals with an astronaut(Bullock) adrift in space after some sort of accident, and chronicling her fight to return home. Warner Brothers has now released an official synopsis(via Joblo) for the film, due to open next year on November 21st...

PLOT: Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone--tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness.

The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth...and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left.

But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space. 

While part of last year was spent fine tuning the script, which may have included trimming the budget just a little bit, the rumors of some of the things Cuaron wants to do sound amazing. His first time working in 3D, there's been talk that the film opens with a more than 20 minute sequence all done in one-take. That would be insane.

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Alfonso Cuaron's 'Gravity' gets a suitable replacement for Robert Downey Jr.

Do I even need to run through all the problems faced by Alfonso Cuaron as he tried to pull together his sprawling sci-fi epic, Gravity? Basically every actress on the planet has been tested for the primary role of a female astronaut aboard a space station struggling to get home after a disaster strikes. Angelina Jolie turned it down. Natalie Portman was offered the role. A host of other actresses were tested. The studio loved Sandra Bullock but nobody else did. The studio didn't care and ultimately settled on her anyway.

Throughout all this the one constant had been Robert Downey Jr. in a major supporting role. All the casting delays were pushing his availability to the limit, and finally he had to step aside. That left Warner Brothers faced with the prospect of finding another big name actor to replace him or shut the entire production down. Well, I'd say they found a more than suitable replacement. Hell, I'd say they just traded up!

THR is reporting that George Clooney has signed on to take over the vacated slot, with hopes to begin shooting his part in the Spring after he finishes directing The Ides of March(formerly known as Farragut North).

It feels good to have something positive to write about this movie for once. While I still don't look forward to Sandra Bullock in a role that's being described as being similar to that of Tom Hanks' in Castaway, the addition of Clooney has me amped up.

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Is Gravity doomed to fail? Robert Downey Jr. drops out

As much as I desperately want to see Alfonso Cuaron's sci-fi flick, Gravity, I think it's time Warner Brothers just pulls the plug. The last bit of info we had on this, right around the time that Sandra Bullock was settled on(more like "settled for") to star in the ambitious project, Robert Downey Jr. was in serious jeopardy of leaving the film due to scheduling conflicts. Months were spent trying to secure a lead actress, and Downey is sortof in demand right now. Just a little. Now it's official, as Downey has left to pursue other projects. So where does this leave Gravity?

I think it leaves it with absolutely nowhere to go. Downey is a tough actor to replace, but it can be done. Finding someone else to fill the role wouldn't be the issue. The issue is that Cuaron's vision(at least as reported by those who've read the script) is a massive one. Gravity isn't exactly an all out action barn burner. It's meant to be more exploratory and introspective, with the female character on screen all by herself for vast portions of the film. So you can imagine that marketing would be a real bitch, which is why the studio pushed so hard for a recognizable face like Bullock's. Even though she's still riding high after last year's The Blind Side, high minded sci-fi flicks are a tough sell nowadays. Without Downey it's hard to justify the reported $80M price tag the project would demand.

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Could 'Gravity' lose Robert Downey Jr?

Seriously, if Alfonson Cuaron had any luck when it comes to his sci-fi flick, Gravity, it'd all be bad. After months of roadblocks, mostly dealing with actresses backing out of the intense lead role, they finally settled that roller coaster by signing Sandra Bullock(Boooooo.)  The one constant has been the male role opposite her, which has had Robert Downey Jr. penciled in almost since day one.  Well, even that might be in jeopardy now.

According to Deadline, the delays have thrown his schedule completely out of whack. The intent was to start on Gravity, then push ahead with Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes sequel, then jump into the slew of Marvel flicks he's got to be a part of. Well, now Sherlock Holmes is next on deck, and after that it'll be tough for him to find time for anything that doesn't involve a suit of armor. 

For the record, Warner  Brothers says this isn't an issue, and it may well not be. But there's no denying he's got a lot on his plate right now. If Natalie Portman had won the lead role I'd be less concerned about Downey's potential departure.

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Now what?? Sandra Bullock negotiating for lead role in GRAVITY

Ok what the hell is going on? After all the twists and turns in trying to cast Alfonson Cuaron's 'Gravity', it seemed like there was light at the end of the tunnel last week when it was reported that Natalie Portman was in final talks for the lead role. Now we're learning, courtesy of Variety, that she's passed on it due to her busy schedule, and that Warner Brothers has come slinking back to the last candidate: Sandra Bullock.

Bullock is back and now in the final stages of negotiations for the highly sought after role of a female astronaut who must struggled to make her way home after the space station she's working on is suddenly destroyed.  The role is said to be intensive, with the actress being forced to carry most of the dramatic and action weight on her own, similar to that of Tom Hanks in Castaway or Sam Rockwell in Moon.

Bullock was just one of many actresses the studio had wanted for the film. Angelina Jolie was the first, but she passed on it twice in order to pursue her first directorial gig. Blake Lively(The Town) and Scarlett Johansson were next up on the list, but it was decided that neither had the chops necessary to carry a role of this sort(at least that's my speculation). Warner Brothers made a push for Bullock based largely on the buzz she's still carrying ever since The Blind Side pushed her to the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Well there goes my interest in Gravity. I like Bullock for certain things, but I think she's an actress capable of hitting only on one emotional note at a time. This doesn't seem like the right fit for her.

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