5 Ways Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator' Endures

Ridley Scott is returning to the genre that made him great with the upcoming release of Exodus: Gods And Kings, which makes now as good a time as any to look back on the acclaimed director's career-defining triumph. Nearly a decade and a half after its release, Gladiator still stands as one of the great films of the 21st century so far. Here's a look at five ways in which the film has enjoyed enduring relevance.

1. The Careers It Sparked

While there is certainly such a thing as a breakthrough role, it's rare for an outsider to be able to look at a Hollywood career and define the point at which an actor or director "made it." It can't be done with Russell Crowe or Ridley Scott either, as both had gradual journeys to superstardom, filled with triumphs along the way. That said, however, Gladiator certainly marked new heights for both men. Scott's IMDB page (for directing) shows various major projects before the 2000 Best Picture winner (including Alien, Blade Runner, and Thelma & Louise), but a far more consistent and noteworthy list of works after 2000. Similarly, Crowe's own IMDB shows that virtually all of the films he's known for came after 2000. So, while both Scott and Crowe are immense talents that would have made it to stard om regardless of their connection, their own careers to date are certainly part of Gladiator's enduring legacy.

2. Sequel Talk

These days there's a sequel for everything, but it speaks to fans' adoration of Gladiator that rumours and hopes of a sequel remain to this day. Just last year, Huffington Post wrote about an absolutely ridiculous sequel that was reportedly in the works: something about Maximus turning into an immortal and attempting to kill Jesus Christ. Most fans are probably pretty grateful that this particular sequel never got further than a script, but the fact that we're even talking about it 14 years later says a lot. If the right script came along, we'd all be ready and waiting for more Maximus action.

3. Imitation

There's no one film out there that comes across as a Gladiator ripoff. However, in the expansive history of on-screen sword-and-sandals narratives that has unfolded since 2000, there are glimpses of Scott's film all over the place. In Troy, we see echoes of Maximus in Achilles' absolute supremacy, as well as his defeat of wave after wave of attacks meant to stop only him. In 300, we see wistful, family-oriented scenes in fields of crops nearly identical to the dream visions of a Maximus longing for home. And 2014 flop Pompeii so closely resembled Gladiator at times that HitFlix described it as "One part Gladiator, one part Titanic." As the saying goes, imitation is the highest form of flattery, and Gladiator has been imitated in just about every film in the genre since.

4. Video Games

Gladiator actually arrived before the era in which just about every major film release comes with accompanying games. Yet, the film still has a presence, both direct and indirect, in gaming. No modern console game actually based on Gladiator exists, but the Betfair online casino does host a slot machine that uses the image and title of the film to make things more interesting. The site is actually offering a £300 welcome bonus at the moment, so it's not a bad time to take a look at the Gladiator game if the idea intrigues you. However, there are also a number of other video games out there that themes and ideas about Roman gladiator settings as backdrops. Blood & Glory, which Android users can download for free, is a particularly impressive app game, though it more closely resembles the setting of the STARZ t elevision series Spartacus than that of Gladiator. Still, for even the one casino game to be using the 2000 film to lure players all these years later is an impressive sign of enduring popularity.

5. The Music

Perhaps this belongs in the same category as our first point about sparking careers. Hans Zimmer has become such a significant name in the industry that the music of Gladiator takes on a new significance in context. Known to a younger generation for his work on numerous Christopher Nolan projects, Zimmer has established himself as the most impactful composer in modern cinema (with the possible exception of Howard Shore, who composed the music for the Lord Of The Rings trilogy). The score of Gladiator still stands as some of his best work. Re-watch the film or listen to its soundtrack all these years later and you may be stunned at how familiar it sounds and how quickly it takes you back to Scott's wonderfully realized ancient Rome. Here's the whole, remarkable soundtrack on YouTube, in case you haven't listened in a while!

If all of that doesn't inspire you to re-watch Gladiator or see it for the first time, there's no telling what would. But it's also all the reason to get excited for Exodus: Gods And Kings and what looks like it could be Scott's biggest and best effort in some time.

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Two Clips from Russell Crowe's Directorial Debut, 'The Water Diviner'

Russell Crowe has been dabbling in filmmaking for awhile, but next month his native Australia will have a chance to check out his directorial debut, The Water Diviner. The rest of us will have to wait until next year to see if Crowe can make a similar leap as fellow A-lister Angelina Jolie, or if he should stay in front of the camera.

The first two clips from The Water Diviner have been released, which has Crowe pulling double duty as the star. Set in 1919 after the Battle of Gallipoli, Crowe plays a father who travels to Turkey to locate his missing sons, declared missing in action. The first clip mostly centers on a mustachioed Jai Courtney as a soldier aiding in the search, while the second clip shows a daring rescue from a terrible dust storm.

Also starring Olga Kurylenko, The Water Diviner opens April 24th 2015.

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First Trailer for Russell Crowe's Directorial Debut, 'The Water Diviner'

As we've seen with Angelina Jolie of late, the transition from actor to director is smoother for some than others. When you've had a chance to work with many of the top filmmakers in Hollywood, picking up a few pointers is natural, and Russell Crowe must have been soaking it up like a sponge. He's directed a couple of smaller projects, mostly documentaries, but last year we learned he'd be making his feature debut with The Water Diviner, and the impressive first trailer has arrived for it.

Crowe stars as an Australian farmer with a gift for finding water, who travels to Turkey to locate his three missing sons four years after the Battle of Gallipoli. A strong supporting cast of Olga Kurylenko, Jai Courtney, Yilman Erdogan, and Cem Yilmaz co-star, but the attention will be on how Crowe handles himself behind the camera. He seems to have a firm grasp on the story's historical sweep, although there are stretches where it looks a little dry.

The Water Diviner opens December 26th in Australia but does not have a U.S. date yet.


The Water Diviner Official Trailer #1 (2014) Russell Crowe Australian Epic Movie HD. by TrailerNow

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Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling Confirmed for Shane Black's 'The Nice Guys'

Although Shane Black recently agreed to direct a Predators sequel, one of his long-running projects has been gathering steam quickly. A few weeks ago Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe were targeted for his crime comedy, The Nice Guys, and now they've both been confirmed which was all Warner Bros. needed to hear to pick up the distribution rights.

Penned by Black and Anthony Bagarozzi, the 1970s-set noir takes place in Los Angeles and follows an ex-alcoholic brawler and a current alcoholic private eye as they investigate the suspicious death of a porn star. This is a project Black has been developing forever and now it's finally happening, which may be part of the reason why he dropped the Death Note remake he was working on.

As the writer of Lethal Weapon and director Kiss Kiss Bang Bang this is right in Black's sweet spot. [THR]

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Shane Black's 'The Nice Guys' May Star Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe

He may still largely be known as the guy behind the Lethal Weapon franchise, Shane Black has only directed two movies in his career. One was Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the film many credit for reviving Robert Downey Jr.'s career; and the other was the $1B-grossing Iron Man 3. Not too shabby, and while Black has eyed an American remake of Death Note and a Doc Savage adaptation for some time, his next project will be another he's been developing.

It looks as if Black will direct The Nice Guys, which he co-wrote with Anthony Bagarozzi long enough ago that he staged a table read of it three years ago. According to The Wrap the film is back on thanks to producer Joel Silver, and right now it's the awesome duo of Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling eyed as potential stars. And this sounds like something definitely in Black's wheelhouse, taking place in 1970s Los Angeles and following ex-alcoholic hired muscle Jackson Healey and current alcoholic private eye Holland March, who are united by a porn star's suicide. When the dead girl's aunt claims to have seen her alive afterwards, the two men take the case, mostly out of financial desperation, and discover a far-reaching murder conspiracy.

If this comes together it's going to be huge, but right now neither actor is attached and Crowe may have conflicts with his directorial debut, The Water Diviner.

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Review: Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah' Starring Russell Crowe, Emma Watson, and Jennifer Connelly

It's hard to imagine that an auteur like Darren Aronofsky, whose cinematic tastes have ranged from pro wrestling dramas to ballet thrillers to existential fantasy, could ever venture into unexplored territory. And yet he's found a road untraveled in Noah, his big budget Hollywood make-over of the most famous flood ever and the Biblical tale everybody knows, even if it's because Steve Carell made a comedy out of it. Controversy has dogged Aronofsky's version since the beginning, but the fundamental tenants of the story are faithful and respectful, for better or worse. However, it's when Aronofsky dares to unshackle the story from its familiar confines, exploring the tale's dark psychological corners and indulging in his flair for fantastic visual surrealism that Noah truly sets itself apart.

Russell Crowe steers this ship, giving a commanding, two-fisted turn as Noah, the last in the heroic line of Seth and the natural enemies of the descendants of Cain, who slew his brother Abel ten generations prior. The first murder, Adam and Eve's taste of the forbidden fruit, rape, and all sinful human desire have led "the Creator" to decide the Earth must be cleansed.
“Fire consumes all, water cleanses.”

Noah has been waiting for a sign from the Creator, and he gets in the form of powerful visions of the world washed away in a great flood. With the help of his grandfather, the long-lived Methuselah (Anthony Hopkins), he deciphers these visions as meaning he must build a giant ark, not so he can save humanity from a watery grave, but to rescue the innocent animals so the world can begin anew. So yes, most of the elements we know remain intact, but Aronofsky spruces it up to Lord of the Rings levels of grandiose fantasy. Noah is aided in his building of the ark by the Nephilim, fallen angels transformed into gangly stone giants who start as enemies but become fierce protectors. And who are they protecting him from, exactly? What kind of villain could one come up with for a fairly narrow story such as this? Tubal-Cain (Ray Winstone) is the snarling embodiment of everything wrong with humanity; through gritted teeth (sometimes filled with chewed-upon humans and lizards) he leads his ravaged, depraved clan against Noah in an attempt to board the ark and save themselves.

While Noah is ruled by "Heaven's will", his family is bound by more earthly desires. His wife Naameh (Jennifer Connelly) has stayed true to her husband but has begun to worry about this most recent task; Noah's son Shem (Douglas Booth) wishes for a child with the barren Ila (Emma Watson), while the other son Ham (Logan Lerman) is desperate to find a girl before they all wind up at the bottom of the sea. Good luck with a name like Ham!  The internal family dramas are obviously an embellishment to give a much-needed human touch as there are few other surprises to be found until that first drop of holy rain splashes Noah's face.  When so much of the story hinges on fate and divine intervention, there simply isn't much room for drama.

Aronofsky has some serious guts to take the film in the direction it ultimately leads, as Noah's unshakeable faith begins to border on psychosis, putting his entire family at risk. Exploring the line between religious zealotry and paranoid schizophrenia, it's safe to say this is going to elbow a few purists right in the ribs. But it's also where Aronofsky seems most comfortable as extreme obsession has been a constant theme since early his earliest work. Stuck at sea in the claustrophobic Ark, with a hidden stowaway lurking in the lower bowels, Noah's family find themselves in the midst of a psychotic thriller with their patriarch as the looney bin's top patient. While it does go a little overboard and into camp territory at points, what's most fascinating is how little Aronofsky and co-writer Ari Handel need to do in bringing about this tonal shift. It's a natural progression of Noah's fanaticism taken to a disturbing level.

It should come as no surprise that Aronofsky presents some gloriously moving images in which to tell this story, sending us to deep space at one point to detail the universe's creation. Ironically, the first thoughts that may come to mind during these scenes are of the science-based series, Cosmos, which creationists are currently rending garments over. But Aronofsky's film sits quite naturally in a space that believers and non-believers can appreciate, allowing room for a bit of evolution to the divine origin. The fast-forwarded style of Requiem for a Dream escorts us through the blackness of space to the birth of all life and its modern destruction at the hands of men. It's an exhilarating sequence, one only matched by the ferocity of the flood as it strikes and engulfs the world.  Aronofsky has never had a canvas this big to paint on and what he does with it is miraculous.

It's unlikely that Noah will fully satisfy secular or deeply religious audiences, but it shouldn't drive them away, either. While presenting the spiritual tale from a modern sensibility often makes for a clunky combination, Aronfosky's daring approach and visual deftness stop this ship from running aground.

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Check Out the Second Trailer for 'Noah' Now With More Emma Watson!

The last trailer we got for Noah was, in a word, amazing, yet I couldn't help but to feel like it was missing something. I now know what that missing element was, copious amounts of Emma Watson! This second trailer highlights the personal sacrifices that will be made by Noah's family with shots of, what we can assume is, Noah's children being made to leave their significant others behind. Russell Crowe delivers yet another epic line to his son, you'll just have to watch to see what it is! The best thing about this trailer? Well, it's introduced by Ms. Watson herself who proves even further that she is worth pining over with an adorable outtake reel to her trying to intro the trailer. Check it out below and let us know what you think!

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First Clip from Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah'

There's some good and bad news when it comes to Darren Aronofsky's much-maligned Biblical film, Noah. The bad news is that it continues to be pilloried by some religious groups, who have convinced Paramount to saddle all of the marketing with disclaimers. Plus, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain have banned the film on religious grounds. The good news is that Aronofsky is getting the cut of the film he championed all along, and he seems convinced much of the controversy will end once people begin seeing it. He tells Variety...

“The film was made for believers and non-believers. I’m more concerned about getting non-believers into the theater or people who are less religious. A lot of people are thinking, ‘Oh. I don’t want to go see a Bible movie,’ but we completely shook up all expectations and people will see that as soon as they sit down and watch the movie."

In the meantime, the first clip from the film has dropped, and it features Russell Crowe as the titular figure who built the Ark to survive God's watery wrath. In this scene he's explaining to his family the monumental task God has placed in front of them.

Noah hits theaters on March 28th.

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New Trailer for 'Noah' Brings the Wrath of God

If this latest trailer for Darren Aronofsky's biblical epic Noah tells us anything it's that Russell Crowe belongs next to Morgan Freeman when it comes to epic narration skills. His Jor-El did nothing but elevate Man of Steel and it's already obvious that he will do the same for Noah. The single line "I am not alone" is delivered in such a chill inducing manner...even if that was all to see in this trailer it would still be worth your time, but that's not all there is to see. The visuals are simply astounding and I don't just mean the overload of beauty that is Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson sharing a screen. When the flood finally comes, if these quick shots are any indicator, it's going to be one of the biggest visual effects accomplishments of the year. This is one of the main things that separates Noah from other apocalyptic films like last weekends Pompeii. Pompeii wasn't bad visually, it was actually pretty damn good, Noah just looks THAT much better. Check it out below and let us know what you think!

Noah hits theaters March 28, 2014

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Review: 'Winter's Tale' Starring Colin Farrell and Russell Crowe

There's a reason Mark Helprin's quasi-religious book of spiritual hokum Winter's Tale has sat around for thirty years waiting to be adapted into a feature film. Dense, messy, and largely inept as a piece of romantic fantasy, it sits idle on the page no matter how many soaring speeches, flying horses, or fateful expressions of eternal love he poured into the voluminous tome. But superstar writer/producer Akiva Goldsman has always had an aching to adapt the material for his directorial debut, and while he dialed up all of his celebrity pals to get the project off the ground, no amount of star power can pump life into such an inert offering.

It's not totally Goldsman's fault as the source material is an incomprehensible, unwieldy slog, forcing the filmmaker to kick to the curb huge chunks of the story and numerous important characters. Without the streamlining effort we'd be talking about an incomprehensible 5-hour epic that by the end of it would still have audiences wondering what the sh*t they just sat through. As it stands, fans who plowed through the novel will be left disappointed that so much has been altered without any real benefit. Those new to the story will be curious how a film with such glowing rhetoric about fate, destiny, and the power of love can have so little heart.

Colin Farrell puts on his Irish charm to modest effect as Peter Lake, a petty thief navigating the tough streets of 1814 New York City. Lake's family had been immigrants turned away from entering the country, but they floated their baby boy to America in a replica ship. Growing up an orphan he turned to crime and fell in with brutal gangster Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe, scarred and sneering), who for unknown reasons now wants to kill Lake. Cornered by Soames' gang, Lake happens upon a magical white horse that becomes his "guardian" and friend, saving him on numerous occasions. The horse, which in the novel is known as Athansor, has a richer backstory that the film largely ignores, leaving us to wonder what the animal is and why it chooses Lake. We also come to learn that Pearly isn't just another crime boss; he's literally on the side of the demons battling against the forces of good and taking his evil marching orders from Lucifer himself, played with hysterical awfulness by Will Smith. Goldsman must have incriminating I am Legendphotos stashed away somewhere

After escaping on his magical steed, Lake is encouraged by the horse, not quite in Mr. Ed style but kind of telepathically, to rob the mansion home of a wealthy newspaper editor (William Hurt). The decision proves to be a fateful one as he meets the beautiful, flame-haired Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay), and despite his coming to rob the place, the two fall instantly in love. Not just an ordinary love, but the type of love that transcends time and space. And transcend their love does as the film inexplicably leaps forward in time to the present with Lake as a stumbling amnesiac drawing images in the pavement and easing his way rather easily into the life of a mother and her sickly daughter (Jennifer Connelly and Ripley Sobo). Neither seems all that concerned about the incredible circumstances surrounding Lake's presence in our time. Nobody seems all that concerned about anything, really. Except for Smith, who seems positively appalled that he's in this movie. Crowe is cheesy enough that we can assume he's having fun helping out his Cinderella Man scribe.

Beautifully shot in storybook flourishes by Caleb Deschanel, it's forever burdened by Goldsman's bloated script and Hans Zimmer's intrusive score. Not even the acclaimed musical maestro can get any emotion to ring true as Goldsman explores existential themes with the deftness of a lead weight.
Belief in miracles and the power of faith form the backbone of Helprin's story, and perhaps to an audience of the converted that's enough to overlook all of the fantastical contrivances that remain unexplained. But for those who require at least a little bit of plotting and characterization, the utter lack of either will be a constant frustration that Goldsman never seeks to correct. Often ranked high on the list of books deemed unfilmmable, it would have been better if Winter's Tale remained unfilmed.

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New Trailer for 'Winter's Tale' Starring Colin Farrell

There was a time when Mark Helprin's quasi-religious fantasy novel Winter's Tale was considered unfilmmable.After all it combines some pretty weird elements, from a flying time-traveling spirit horse to resurrection to a thief who acquires super powers in the wake of the apocalypse. But Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman decided it was the perfect film to make his directorial debut on, and in just a few short days we'll see the end result. But first we're being treated to a new trailer.

Starring Colin Farrell, the story centers on Peter Lake, a thief who breaks into the home of wealthy man, only to fall in love with his terminally ill daughter (Jessica Brown Findlay). Meanwhile Peter's being chased by his old gang (led by Russell Crowe), the narrative jumps ahead about 100 years, flying horses and the ideas of fate and reincarnation are introduced into the mix, and basically this could be one huge clusterbomb of a mess if Goldsman can't get a handle on it.

Co-starring William Hurt, Jennifer Connelly, and Will Smith, Winter's Tale opens February 14th.

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New International Trailer for Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah'

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, and so is that most special of days Black Friday (well to some of us it is), it's time to look forward to the holiest holiday of all, Christmas. Which makes this perfect timing for Darren Aronofsky's Biblical epic Noah to ramp up the marketing campaign with a brand new trailer, even if the film will hit theaters closer to Easter.

There are brief flashes of new footage in this latest trailer, but one thing remains clear and it's that this is going to be one massive spectacle. Russell Crowe stars as Noah, and we all know his story, right? Well, Aronofsky is throwing a few things into the mix most people aren't familiar with (and some downright hate being included), such as demon angels, giants, the story of Cain & Abel, and Noah's environmentalism.

Controversial? Yeah, probably, which only makes Noah one of the more anticipated films of next year. Look for it to open on March 28th 2014, co-starring Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Douglas Booth, and Kevin Durand.

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Trailer for Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah' Starring Russell Crowe, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins, and More

It's been a long hard road for Darren Aronofsky to bring his massive, highly expensive Biblical epic Noah to the big screen, and the battle isn't over yet. Filming wrapped last year and the director has been busy putting the finishing touches on the special effects, which are substantial to say the least. As we've learned over the last couple of weeks he's also been fighting with Paramount over the final cut of the film, as some religious groups haven't taken too kindly to his approach to the story of Noah and the Great Flood. While no decision has been made yet to the best of our knowledge, the film is close enough to completion that the first trailer has arrived, and it's mighty impressive.

Russell Crowe stars as Noah, who we all know as the man given a divine command to build a massive ark to survive a Great Flood sent to wash away a sinful humanity. But there's more to this version than just rounding up pairs of animals (this isn't Evan Almighty, thankfully) and riding a few waves, as we see Noah's faith tested in numerous ways, including by a powerful nemesis played by Ray Winstone. The images of the flood and the potential scope of the film are staggering, but it looks like Aronofsky's knack for creating intimate character portraits is also in full display, aided by Crowe who seems to be at his powerful best. We only get a hint of the environmental aspect that has riled up some religious groups (do they think it was written by Al Gore or something?), so it'll be interesting to see if Aronofsky is able to deliver the film as he intended.

Starring Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins, Logan Lerman, Kevin Durand, and Douglas Booth, Noah sets sail on March 28th 2014.


Noah (Trailer) by tvPRIME

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Teaser Footage from Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah' Starring Russell Crowe

While Darren Aronofsky and Paramount continue to haggle over the final cut of his Biblical epic, Noah, they still have to hype the blockbuster-sized film before it opens next year. While test screenings are still taking place to fix what has been labeled a "major challenge" of a final act so that it doesn't offend Christian groups, ET has provided our first footage from the film, which usually means a full trailer is on the way.

Starring Russell Crowe as Noah, the $125M effort will chronicle his diving mission to build the famous Ark and survive the coming flood. But this won't be the story we're all familiar with as Aronosfky is presenting the character as "the first environmentalist", while also tossing in demon angels, giants, and other creatures into the mix. The footage teases the wide-scale approach Aronofsky is taking, and hopefully he'll get to maintain his creative vision for the film when all is said and done.

Starring Jennifer Connelly, Saoirse Ronan, Douglas Booth, Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Durand and Mark Margolis, Noah opens on March 28th 2014.

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Magical First Trailer for 'Winter's Tale' Starring Colin Farrell and Russell Crowe

It pays to be uber-producer Akiva Goldsman because you have no problem calling up a few friends to help out with your directorial debut. To his credit, Goldsman is taking on a film many considered to be unfilmmable, Mark Helprin's mystical, quasi-religious fantasy Winter's Tale. And now that the first trailer is here, it looks like all the hard work he's been putting into making this ambitious project happen has paid off.

Starring Colin Farrell, Jennifer Connelly, Jessica Brown-Findlay, and Russell Crowe, the time-hopping film follows Peter Lake, a petty thief who breaks into a rich man's Manhattan home, only to fall in love with his ailing daughter, Beverly Penn. While their relationship blossoms, Lake must also stay clear of the gangster Pearly Soames who wants to kill him. As suggested but not really spelled out in this beautiful but confusing trailer, there's a time jump of about 100 hundred years that takes place, along with other magical elements like a guardian angel in the form of a white horse. Surprisingly we don't get a chance to see Will Smith, who cameos as a judge integral to the story.

The film looks great, and like something that would probably play well during the holiday season. However we'll Winter's Tale arrive a couple of months later on Valentine's Day.

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Jai Courtney Joins Russell Crowe's 'The Water Diviner' and Angelina Jolie's 'Unbroken'

This weekend on the Starz Network they'll begin re-airing Spartacus: Blood and Sand, one of my favorite shows of the last few years. While all of us who enjoyed it felt the sting of losing star Andy Whitfield so young into his budding career, it's also been great to see his co-star Jai Courtney break out into becoming a sought-after star on the big screen. After starring with Bruce Willis in A Good Day to Die Hard and Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher, Courtney has now joined the upcoming directorial projects by Angelina Jolie and Russell Crowe. So yep, he's definitely in high demand.

First up, Courtney will take part in Jolie's WWII drama, Unbroken, about former Olympian Louis Zamperini (Jack O'Connell), who survived a crash landing and being stranded at sea, only to endure terrible torture at a Japanese POW camp. He'll play Hugh ‘Cup’ Cuppernell, a fighter pilot who fought alongside Zamperini. Unbroken is slated to open on Christmas 2014.

From there he'll move into Russell Crowe's feature directing debut, The Water Diviner, which has him starring as a father who travels to Turkey to recover the bodies of his sons after the war in Gallipoli. Olga Kurylenko co-stars, and Courtney will play a "smart, efficient soldier tasked with organizing the effort to identify the tens of thousands of soldiers killed" in the fighting.

Courtney will be seen next in the YA adaptation, Divergent, opposite Shailene Woodley. [Deadline]

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Russell Crowe to Star in 'Fathers and Daughters' for 'Seven Pounds' Director

Italian director Gabriele Muccino made his biggest move into Hollywood directing a pair of Will Smith weepers The Pursuit of Happyness and Seven Pounds, the former of which is pretty good while the latter is a melodramatic train wreck. Last year he tried something a little different, and the results were the terrible soccer rom-com Playing for Keeps with Gerard Butler. Having learned his lesson, Muccino has is going back to the type of family drama he knows best, and with an A-lister star in the lead.

Muccino will direct Russell Crowe in Fathers and Daughters, based on a Black List script by Brad Desch. The heart-tugging film centers on a famous New York City novelist suffering from mental illness as he struggles to raise his 5-year-old daughter. The story then picks up 25 years later as the daughter, now an adult, copes with the aftermath of her troubled childhood.

In other words, keep a box of Kleenex handy. No word on when filming will begin as it will be shopped at the American Film Market next month. With Crowe on board it should have no problem finding a buyer. [Variety]

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Russell Crowe To Make Directorial Debut With 'The Water Diviner'

Now that Jor-El has seen his son grow up to be the Superman he always hoped for, it's time to focus on more serious pursuits. It's kind of surprising that Russell Crowe's only credit behind the camera was a co-directing gig on a concert movie for his band, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, but now he's going at it head on, making his solo directorial debut with The Water Diviner.

Deadline reports that Crowe will helm and star in the Australian period drama, which is set in 1919 and centers on a father who travels to Turkey to recover the bodies of his sons after the war in Gallipoli. Aussie TV vet Andrew Knight co-wrote the script with newcomer Andrew Anastasios.

So it sounds like more father/son issues for Crowe, who is dealing with them on a cosmic scale in Man of Steel. Filming on The Water Diviner begins later this year, which should give Crowe plenty of time to begin press for Darren Aronofsky's Noah.

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"Krypton is Doomed" in the New 'Man of Steel' Clip

Reviews for Zack Snyder's Man of Steel will probably start hitting the web in a few hours, meaning that the curtain will be lifted on the film once and for all. With it comes the hopes of a new superhero franchise for Warner Bros., who have been struggling to find their footing as Marvel has dominated the landscape. What's clear is that they're going to do everything to pump up the excitement a little bit more, and have been releasing new clips on an almost daily basis for the last week. The latest focuses on Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and his wife Lara (Ayelet Zurer) as they make the fateful decision to send their son Kal-El away to Earth before Krypton's destruction.

Man of Steel opens on June 14th.

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Zod and Jor-El Argue In the Latest 'Man of Steel' Clip

As it turns out, political squabbling and general ineffectiveness aren't just a human concern. They're apparently a big problem on Krypton, as well, or at least they will be in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. After releasing a number of clips in the last few days, the latest gives us a chance to see Michael Shannon and Russell Crowe go square off as General Zod and Jor-El. While we have no idea how the Kryptonian electoral system works, it looks as if Zod would rather wipe out his own race than vote the bums out of office.

Man of Steel is just a few days away, opening on June 14th. Check out the clip below.


PLOT: In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time. Clark Kent/Kal-El (Cavill) is a young twenty-something journalist who feels alienated by powers beyond anyone’s imagination. Transported to Earth years ago from Krypton, an advanced alien planet, Clark struggles with the ultimate question – Why am I here? Shaped by the values of his adoptive parents Martha (Lane) and Jonathan Kent (Costner), Clark soon discovers that having super abilities means making very difficult decisions. But when the world needs stability the most, it comes under attack. Will his abilities be used to maintain peace or ultimately used to divide and conquer? Clark must become the hero known as “Superman,” not only to shine as the world’s last beacon of hope but to protect the ones he loves.

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