Rumor: 'Wonder Woman' Director Shortlist Includes Kathryn Bigelow, Catherine Hardwicke and More

So that didn't take long. Shortly after reports began to circulate that Warner Bros. was looking to bring a female director on to helm their upcoming Wonder Woman movie, which will star Gal Gadot and arrive in 2017 as part of a huge DC Comics lineup, Forbes has already gotten on the ball and revealed the list of apparent candidates. Mostly it's names that one would expect to find, but there are a couple of surprises.

The list of possibilities includes Kathryn Bigelow Catherine Hardwicke, Julie Taymor, Mimi Leder, Karyn Kusama, Michelle MacLaren, and Tricia Brock. Obviously, Bigelow would be the big score here, but the Zero Dark Thirty and The Hurt Locker director is probably the least likely to want to do something like this. Hardwicke has franchise experience with Twilight, and many of her movies (Thirteen, Red Riding Hood) have been from the female perspective. She may be the most logical choice. Kusama has had a rough go of it since breaking through with Girlfight in 2000, a film that introduced the world to Michelle Rodriguez. She hasn't directed a feature since Jennifer's Body in 2009, and she also helmed the big-budget stinker, Aeon Flux. Leder also hasn't directed a major film in awhile, but the Deep Impact filmmaker certainly knows the terrain. Taymor may not seem like an obvious pick but the gorgeous visuals she was able to bring to Across the Universe and The Tempest may be what got WB's attention. MacLaren has directed episodes of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, both shows serving as solid launching pads for others; and Brock is best known for her work on Person of Interest.

My gut tells me WB will go with an established name, which could mean Hardwicke will be the choice. Or perhaps there are others out there we still don't know about? Wonder Woman opens June 23rd 2017.

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Kristen Stewart and Kate Winslet to Help Oversee New 'Twilight' Short Films

And you thought The Twilight Saga was over with Breaking Dawn? The franchise has spawned a seemingly endless stream of fan-fics and shorts from its obsessed devoted base, and now five of them will get a chance to continue the romance between Bella and Edward as part of a new project put together by author Stephenie Meyer and Lionsgate.

Five aspiring female filmmakers will be chosen to direct short films based on the Twilight characters as part of a project called 'The Storytellers -- New Creative Voices of 'The Twilight Saga,'. The movies will debut on Facebook, with the winners selected by a panel that includes Meyer, Kristen Stewart, Octavia Spencer, Julie Bowen, Kate Winslet, Frozen director Jennifer Lee, producer Cathy Schulman, and Catherine Hardwicke. They'll also help oversee the films and mentor the budding directors, but sadly don't expect to see K-Stew starring returning as Bella. None of the original cast is expected to reprise their roles, but does that mean somebody like Winslet COULD appear? Probably not, but you never know.

Twilight aside, this is a pretty good way to help build the next generation of female directors, and don't be surprised if some of the winners go on to some pretty big things. Check out the full press release below:

VANCOUVER, BC, and SANTA MONICA, CA -- September 30, 2014 -- As part of its ongoing effort to enhance its diverse portfolio of premium content, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a premier next generation global content leader, is teaming with Facebook, the prestigious Women In Film organization, the crowdsourcing platform Tongal and best-sellingTwilight Saga author Stephenie Meyer to create and manage a social media campaign to develop and produce a series of short films directed by aspiring female filmmakers. The campaign, called “The Storytellers – New Creative Voices of The Twilight Saga,” will include films based on a broad spectrum of characters from the Twilight universe, with guidance provided by Meyer’s encyclopedic The Twilight Saga: Official Illustrated Guide.

The campaign will center on a multiphase contest culminating in the selection of at least five aspiring female filmmakers to direct short films based on characters from the Twilight universe. The films will be produced and directed with the mentorship of a blue chip panel of advisors, which will ultimately select the winning shorts that will premiere exclusively on the Facebook platform next year. The star-studded group of female panelists will include Stephenie Meyer, actress Kristen Stewart, Academy Award winners Kate Winslet and Octavia Spencer, Jennifer Lee, the award-winning writer and one of the directors of Disney’s global blockbuster Frozen, Twilightdirector Catherine Hardwicke, Emmy Award-winning actress Julie Bowen, and Women In Film President Cathy Schulman.

Five winning shorts will be financed through production advances, and fans will help select a grand prize winning filmmaker who will receive a cash prize and career opportunities. The short film development and production process will involve extensive fan engagement on the Facebook and Tongal platforms.

“More people than ever before are creating, discovering and engaging with videos on Facebook,” said Facebook Vice President of Partnerships Dan Rose. “This collaboration with Stephenie Meyer, Lionsgate and Women In Film is a great opportunity to engage Twilight’s massive global audience on Facebook through an innovative premium video program.”

“We’re delighted to expand our longstanding relationship with Stephenie and confident that her participation in theTwilight short films campaign will add an exciting new dimension to the incredible world she has created as an author and producer,” said Lionsgate Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer and Vice Chairman Michael Burns. “Our partnership with Facebook and Women In Film underscores the opportunities for growing our franchises in exciting new directions, and we’re pleased to introduce fresh creative talent to the Twilight universe as part of our commitment to female empowerment in front of and behind the camera.”

“Accessing Hollywood is a momentous challenge, especially for aspiring female filmmakers, so I‘m thrilled that Women In Film has been invited to join Stephenie Meyer, Lionsgate and Facebook to empower new storytellers with diverse voices,” said WIF President Cathy Schulman. “Women In Film is proud to help recruit and mentor female filmmakers as part of a project that illustrates the power of a beloved book and movie franchise to lessen the gender gap in our film community and provide a platform for women’s perspectives to be seen and heard.”

"The female voice is something that has become more and more important to me as I've worked in the film industry,” said Meyer. “I’m honored to be working with Women In Film, Lionsgate, and Facebook on a project dedicated to giving more women a chance to be heard creatively.”

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Catherine Hardwicke to Direct Toni Collette and Rachel Weisz in 'Miss You Already'

The Morwenna Banks-scripted dramedy Miss You Already has been developing for a couple of years, but never seems to gain any traction. Jennifer Aniston seemed to give it a firm A-list lead with which to build from, with Paul Andrew Williams in line to direct. Toni Collette joined soon after, only for the project to run aground for various reasons. Now it's back on with a new director, a new star, and hopefully some new momentum.

Deadline reports that Catherine Hardwicke has replaced Williams as director, while Rachel Weisz is in for Aniston. Collette remains attached to the film which centers on "lifelong best friends whose relationship is tested as they confront a crisis." The story, described as similar to Beaches, is based on Banks' personal experiences. Invoking Beaches is probably a good way to make sure no guy pays to see this movie.

The film will be shopped around at Cannes where it should find lots of potential investors with Weisz and Hardwicke on board.

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Sure Shots: Catherine Hardwicke; Liam Hemsworth; Leighton Meester

* After venturing into tween territory with Twilight and Red Riding Hood, Catherine Hardwicke is back directing the sorts of tough youthful dramas that began her career. She recently completed her latest thriller, Plush, and has just lined up an adaptation of Karen Thompson Walker's best-selling, Oprah Book Club approved novel, The Age of Miracles. The story follows 10 year-old Julia, who awakens to discover that a natural phenomena has caused the earth's rotation to slow. The change stretches the days and nights, effects the gravity and begins to destroy everything in Julia's life. Seth Lockhead (Hanna) will adapt the script.

* Even though he's a key fixture in The Hunger Games franchise, and recently appeared in The Expendables 2, Liam Hemsworth has yet to match his big brother Chris by landing a blockbuster all his own. That could be changing as he's now set to star in The Raven, which thankfully has nothing to do with the awful John Cusack film. This one is directed by Ricardo de Montreui and based on his futuristic sci-fi short film, a conspiracy thriller about a man hunted for his supernatural powers.  Michael Gilio and Justin Marks will collaborate on the script, with Mark Wahlberg producing. [Deadline]

* Leighton Meester (The Roommate) and Jeremy Strong (Zero Dark Thirty) are the latest to join Robert Downey Jr. in The Judge, the comedy-drama directed by David Dobkin. Also starring Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Dax Shepard and Vincent D'Onofrio, the film follows a lawyer who returns home for his mother's funeral, only to discover that his father, an local judge, has become a suspect in her death. Meester will play Farmiga's daughter, while Strong is the younger brother to Downey and D'Onofrio.

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Emily Browning replaces Evan Rachel Wood in Catherine Hardwicke's 'Plush'

Catherine Hardwicke has been pretty good at shepherding the careers of young, up 'n coming actresses. Evan Rachel Wood and Nikki Reed both have her to thank for much of their early success after the intense 2003 drama, Thirteen. And while I think Kristen Stewart would have ended up a star on her own easily enough, it was Hardwicke behind the camera for the first Twilight film. We know how that turned out. Granted, that was also the point where Hardwicke seemed to veer wildly off course. Attaching her name to a number of potential films, possibly in hopes that we'd forget about Red Riding Hood, Hardwicke had been hoping to reteam with Wood on an erotic thriller titled Plush.


Turns out that's not going to happen for whatever reason, as Variety reports that Emily Browning(The Uninvited) has stepped into the lead. The story follows a psychic psychologist who digs into the memories of his patients in order to help them unleash past demons. That is until Browning shows up and is more than a match for him as she shares the same power. Hardwicke will not only direct, but produce and co-write the script with Artie Nelson.

Browning is a solid actress who I think was beat up a little unfairly after Sucker Punch. She was pretty good in the recent festival indie, Sleeping Beauty, and Hardwicke seems like the perfect director for her. As for Hardwicke, she's got a ton on her plate right now so it's unclear when this would roll. She's got adaptations of The Maze Runner and The Bitch Posse on the way at some point, along with a boxing drama featuring Noomi Rapace.

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Catherine Hardwicke lines up gangster pic, 'Diamond', as her next directing gig

I keep waiting for Catherine Hardwicke to return to the edgy films of her early career like Thirteen and Lords of Dogtown. Hopefully now that she's done screwing around with lousy tween flicks like Twilight and Red Riding Hood, she can get back to what she does best. Over the last few months she's attached her name to a number of promising projects: from a boxing biopic with Noomi Rapace, to an adaptation of The Bitch Posse, and an adaptation of The Maze Runner. Right now she's in development on Plush, an erotic thriller which re-teams her with Thirteen star Evan Rachel Wood.

Adding one more film to the list, Hardwicke has now signed on to direct Diamond, a gangster flick set in 1960s London. All we really know about it beyond that is the script comes from Joe Shrapnel and Amy Waterhouse(Frankie and Alice) and that filming will begin some time next year.

Hardwicke seems to be taking every opportunity to return to form, and I'm curious to see how this develops as it's certainly a change of pace for her. [ScreenDaily]

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Catherine Hardwicke and Evan Rachel Wood to re-team for erotic thriller, 'Plush'

Catherine Hardwicke and Evan Rachel Wood made their big Hollywood splash together with 2003's Thirteen, a gritty tale of teen excess which earned Wood a Golden Globe nomination. Since then, the two have gone in totally different directions. 2011 saw Wood doing some of the best work of her career in the HBO mini-series, Mildred Pierce, and in a supporting role in The Ides of March. Hardwicke's had it rougher, with many considering Red Riding Hood one of the worst movies of the year. Count me in that group. For months, Hardwicke has seemed to be trying to get back to the serious films she built her career on, and part of that includes reteaming with Wood on a Los Angeles set erotic thriller.

Titled Plush, details on the film are few at this point. All we know is that Hardwicke co-wrote the script with Artie Nelson, and that it will be set in the LA music scene.

The only question now is when the film will shoot. In the wake of Red Riding Hood, Hardwicke attached her name to a number of promising projects. One was an adaptation of The Bitch Posse, Martha O'Connor's tale of troubled teens turned adults. And then there was her plan to adapt sci-fi franchise The Maze Runner, plus a biopic on Swedish boxer "Bosse" Hogberg that would see her paired up with Noomi and Ola Rapace. [THR]

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Sure Shots: Catherine Hardwicke; Chris Hemsworth; Diablo Cody sets directorial debut

* I'll say this for Catherine Hardwicke(Twilight), she's true to her word. Almost exactly two weeks ago she hinted at her next film, a "wild", "raw", "gritty" indie to be set in Sweden and Germany. She promised we'd hear more in a couple weeks, and here we are. She'll be directing a biopic on the colorful Swedish boxer, Bo "Bosse" Hogberg. Noomi Rapace has been attached to the film since last year as Hogberg's wife, Anita. Hogberg led a flamboyant lifestyle outside of the ring, involving lots of women, alcohol, and bouts with the law.[ScreenDaily]

* Has anybody seen their career take off faster than Chris Hemsworth? After making the most of his brief time in Star Trek, he did the same with A Perfect Getaway, and of course his breakout in Thor. The Avengers is next on his plate, followed by Snow White and the Huntsman, but he'll be doing something totally different not long after. Hemsworth is set to star in Shadow Runner, a black ops film from scorching hot writer Hossein Amini(Drive), which will follow the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud al Mabhouh.

* Diablo Cody's writing has a very distinct vibe to it, but to me it's a little hit and miss. I loved her Juno script, but Jennifer's Body was too silly for it's own good. While I'm anxiously awaiting Young Adult, her next callaboration with Jason Reitman, Cody is making the leap into directing with the religious comedy, Lamb of God. The story follows a very religious, conservative woman who loses her faith after an airplane crash. She decides to go to Las Vegas to sin til her heart's content, but ultimately finds her faith again. One thing I'll say about Cody, she makes some great movies with strong female leads. This will be her fourth such film in a row.

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Catherine Hardwicke in talks to direct The Maze Runner

I haven't seen Catherine Hardwicke's Red Riding Hood film yet, but judging by the look of it I can tell she's still fully in Twilight mode. She's gone from making indie flicks that I really enjoyed, like Thirteen and The Lords of Dogtown, to stuff that has huge franchise potential. Nothing wrong with that. She's gotten popular, has found a voice, and is running with it.  Now she's looking to add another teen oriented adaptation to her credit, as she's in talks to direct The Maze Runner, based on the first in a trilogy of books from James Dasher.

Hardwicke's involvement is said to be in the very early stages at this point. Right now it looks as if Dasher will be scripting the adaptation. Always a plus, in my opinion. I don't know much about the novels, so here's a synopsis taken from Amazon.com.

Thomas wakes up in an elevator, remembering nothing but his own name. He emerges into a world of about 60 teen boys who have learned to survive in a completely enclosed environment, subsisting on their own agriculture and supplies from below. A new boy arrives every 30 days. The original group has been in “the glade” for two years, trying to find a way to escape through a maze that surrounds their living space. They have begun to give up hope. Then a comatose girl arrives with a strange note, and their world begins to change. There are some great, fast-paced action scenes, particularly those involving the nightmarish Grievers who plague the boys. Thomas is a likable protagonist who uses the information available to him and his relationships (including his ties to the girl, Teresa) to lead the Gladers.

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Trailer Time: Red Riding Hood, directed by Catherine Hardwicke

I meant to post about this last week but it just completely slipped my mind, partially because it was clear that Catherine Hardwicke was looking to make the Twilight movies she was never allowed to make, and I try to wipe anything Twilight related straight from my memory. Sure, she directed the first of that series, but she left when Summit Entertainment wanted an accelerated schedule for all sequels. So she's had time to prepare Red Riding Hood, loosely based on the fairy tale by The Brothers Grimm.

I understand the love triangle element is necessary, but it's by far the least interesting aspect of the trailer. It's clear that they're really playing off Hardwicke's Twilight connection, both in the marketing and in the film's look. I do like Gary Oldman as a sortof Van Helsing type character who's an expert at tracking down werewolves. 

Red Riding Hood should be in theaters on March 11, 2011 but you can check out the trailer right now followed by the official synopsis!

In “Red Riding Hood,” Seyfried plays Valerie, a beautiful young woman torn between two men. She is in love with a brooding outsider, Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry (Max Irons). Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie’s older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. For years, the people have maintained an uneasy truce with the beast, offering the creature a monthly animal sacrifice. But under a blood red moon, the wolf has upped the stakes by taking a human life. Hungry for revenge, the people call on famed werewolf hunter, Father Solomon (Gary Oldman), to help them kill the wolf. But Solomon’s arrival brings unintended consequences as he warns that the wolf, who takes human form by day, could be any one of them. As the death toll rises with each moon, Valerie begins to suspect that the werewolf could be someone she loves. As panic grips the town, Valerie discovers that she has a unique connection to the beast–one that inexorably draws them together, making her both suspect…and bait.

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