Pierce Brosnan and Ashley Greene have the 'Urge'; Catherine Zeta-Jones is 'The Godmother'

Pierce Brosnan is set to star in Urge, and hopefully it turns out better than The November Man did. Directed by Aaron Kaufman, the film has Brosnan as the creator of a designer drug that causes a group of friends to lose their ability to control urges. One of those friends will be Twilight actress Ashley Greene, who will play Theresa.  Filming begins this month. [Deadline/THR]

Speaking of drugs, Catherine Zeta-Jones will star as Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco in The Godmother. Directed by Eva Sørhaug (90 Minutes), the film will chronicle Blanco's violent rise to the top of the Medellin cartel, the only woman to do so. She didn't become known as La Madrina (the "Black Widow") for nothing. For more on her, check out the great documentary, Cocaine Cowboys. [Deadline]

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Pierce Brosnan Returning for Sequel to 'The November Man'

It's become standard practice for studios to plot a franchise's course well in advance, but that usually only applies to major tentpoles and potential blockbusters. So it's a sign of Relativity's confidence in the Pierce Brosnan thriller that they're already gearing up for a sequel to the hitman thriller The November Man a full week before the film hits theaters.

Pierce Brosnan is returning as Peter Devereaux, the ex-CIA agent at the heart of author Bill Granger's The November Man series, of which the current film is based on the seventh book, There Are No Spies. What's not clear is who else is being asked back or which of Granger's novels will be adapted next. Roger Donaldson directed The November Man with Luke Bracey as Devereau's protege who is hired to take down his former mentor. It's been a long time since Brosnan was James Bond and he's long overdue for another franchise to call his own, plus The November Man actually looks good. Hopefully the box office is strong enough to warrant doing more of them.

The November Man hits theaters August 27th, with pre-production on the sequel underway now. 

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Pierce Brosnan stars in new trailer for 'The November Man'

You know, if Liam Neeson can continue being an action star into senior citizenhood, why not Pierce Brosnan? The man is 61 years old, but he can still run, jump, fire guns, and chase after young women half his age with the best of them. To white men! And now you can see him do all those things in this new trailer for the spy thriller The November Man.

Starring Brosnan, the film is an adaptation of the novel There Are No Spies by Bill Granger; Brosnan will play an ex-CIA operative who has to face off against one of his mentees to protect a woman. The mentee is played by Luke Bracey, who was in Monte Carlo with Selena Gomez (ahahahha) and will also star in the future Point Break remake (also, ahahahhaa). I guess they'll beat each other up and then blow things up, which you know, I'm not averse to watching Pierce Brosnan do.

The November Man comes out on August 27, 2014. Watch Pierce Brosnan do stuff senior citizens probably shouldn't do in the trailer below.

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Stacy Martin Joins 'High-Rise'; Pierce Brosnan Eyes 'Sympathy for the Devil'

* After baring all (and then some) in Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac Vol. I & 2, Stacy Martin has decided to trade sex for some good old fashioned violence. She's joining Ben Wheatley's adaptation of High-Rise, which already has a great cast with Tom Hiddleston, Elisabeth Moss, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, and Luke Evans. The JG Ballard novel takes place in an isolated luxury high-rise and its occupants as they descend into a primal, tribal society. [TB]

* Who lit a fire under Pierce Brosnan all of the sudden? Maybe he's feeling nostalgic over his James Bond days but he's been keeping busy in the action genre of late, and now he may add another thriller to his schedule. Brosnan is circling a role in the supernatural film Sympathy for the Devil, directed by John Marks and follows a "television journalist who faces off against a criminal mastermind who feeds on the souls of victims of mass murder."  Brosnan will next slip into spy mode for The November Man, opening at the end of summer.

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Pierce Brosnan is Back in Spy Mode for 'The November Man'

Although Pierce Brosnan spent four movies as super spy James Bond, let's not forget he's played suave and cool in Remington Steele (awesome!) and The Thomas Crown Affair, so he knows his espionage better than most. And while it has been a few years since he got down with the whole secret agent thing, The November Man has given Brosnan a chance to show he's still got what it takes.

Roger Donaldson (The Bank Job) directs the film with Olga Kurylenko co-starring in what looks like a straight-forward story of a legendary ex-CIA agent (Brosnan) nicknamed "The November Man" drawn out of retirement for one last mission protecting a key witness. That task puts him in the crosshairs of his former protege (Luke Bracey) at the agency, meaning there are few he can truly trust.

The November Man opens August 27th.

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Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson Plan a Heist in 'The Love Punch' Trailer

If you need an actor to play an art or jewel thief, Pierce Brosnan is probably your guy. While he hasn't played James Bond in quite awhile, the days of the excellent Thomas Crown Affair are also long behind him, the guy just has the suave style to play an international man of mystery, even when that's not exactly what he's being called upon to do. Such is the case with his upcoming rom-com/heist movie, The Love Punch, where he plays an ordinary guy looking to make a big score.

Brosnan stars alongside Emma Thompson as an older, divorced couple who plan to steal a $10M diamond after their retirement savings are wiped out in a financial scam. They're joined in this bumbling scheme by their equally-clueless neighbors (Timothy Spall and Celia Imrie) in the plot that takes them to London, Paris, and the French Riviera.

Brosnan, Thompson, and the romantic charms of Paris are a tough combo to beat, even for a film that looks pretty awful. Directed by Joel Hopkins (Jump Tomorrow, Last Chance Harvey), The Love Punch opens on May 23rd.

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Benjamin Walker and Ben Lloyd-Hughes Find 'The Moon and the Sun'

One played the axe-wielding President in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, the other was a member of Dauntless in Divergent, but now Benjamin Walker and Ben Lloyd-Hughes find themselves in another fantasy adaptation.

Variety reports the two actors will join the previously-cast Pierce Brosnan, Fan Bingbing, and Kaya Scodelario in The Moon and the Sun, based on Vonda McIntyre's novel. Directed by Sean McNamara (Soul Surfer), the film follows King Louis XIV, who is determined to protect the future of France by reigning for all eternity. His search for immortality leads him to capture and steal the life force from a mermaid, but soon his 18-year-old illegitimate daughter discovers the mystical creature and strikes up a friendship with her."  Suffice it to say this isn't the King Louis story you'll find on The History Channel.

The Moon and the Sun will open in 2015. [THR/Variety]

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First Looks: Jason Clarke in 'Everest'; Pierce Brosnan's 'November Man'; 'The Forger' with John Travolta

Dudes, take note: three straight-up macho flicks are in production right now and headed our way real soon, and now we've got new images from all of them.

Right off the bat is the first image of Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) in Everest, which has him scaling the mountain alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, John Hawkes, and Josh Brolin. That's a lot of testosterone for one set, isn't it? Insurance must have been sky high. Anyway, the 3D flick is directed by Baltasar Kormakur (The Deep) and is based in part on Jon Krakauer's book, Into Thin Air, about a doomed 1996 climbing expedition.  Everest is set to open February 27th 2015.

Forget Liam Neeson and Kevin Costner, Pierce Brosnan used to be James friggin' Bond, so he's automatically cooler than both of them. Just check out this first image from November Man which has him walking away from an explosion, no doubt in slow-motion. Directed by Roger Donaldson (The Bank Job) and co-starring Dominic Cooper, the action thriller has Brosnan as an ex-CIA operative brought back in on a very personal mission, and finds himself going against his former pupil in a deadly game involving high-level CIA officials and the Russian president-elect

And finally it's three tough guys in the first photo from heist flick, The Forger, starring John Travolta, Christopher Plummer, and Tye Sheridan. Travolta and that ridiculous facial hair star as petty thief and former child art prodigy who negotiates his release from prison to spend time with his ailing son. But upon getting out he's forced into one last job by the same people who brokered the deal. Philip Martin (Prime Suspect) is directing and a release date has yet to be secured.

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First Trailer for 'A Long Way Down' Starring Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots, and Pierce Brosnan

Before Imogen Poots and Aaron Paul race for their lives in Need for Speed, they'll first decide if life is worth living in A Long Way Down. Based on the Nick Hornby novel and directed by Pascal Chaumeil, the film co-stars Pierce Brosnan and Toni Collette, centering on four suicidal strangers who meet on New Year's Day as they're all planning to jump off the same building. When does the fun start?

The first trailer for the film has been released and while Nick Hornby adaptations have mostly been successful, this one looks like a tonal misfire. After making a pact to keep on living until Valentine's Day, they each experience the best life has to offer; learn some profound lessons; grow into a quirky little family; etc. etc. etc. I think Aaron Paul has worn that jacket (and worn that same character) in everything he's ever done, and there are probably better uses of the entire cast in general.

A Long Way Down takes the leap in the U.K. on March 21st, but has yet to gain a U.S. date.


A Long Way Down with Aaron Paul – Official Trailer by FanReviews

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Pierce Brosnan, Milla Jojovich, Angela Bassett, and Emma Thompson Join James McTeigue's 'Survivor'

Having worked with George Lucas and The Wachowski's on the Star Wars and Matrix franchises, James McTeigue has been in the spotlight since he first stepped behind the camera with V for Vendetta. While many consider that film a cult classic for some unknown reason, it's been diminishing returns ever since, hitting a rather embarrassing low with ponderous Edgar Allan Poe flick, The Raven. One thing he's never had a problem with is attracting big stars, and for his next project he's assembled quite a cast.

Millennium Films has tapped McTeigue to direct Survivor, with Milla Jojovich, Pierce Brosnan, Emma Thompson, and Angela Bassett starring. The script by Phil Shelby will call for Jojovich to play "a State Department employee newly posted to the American embassy in London, where she is charged with stopping terrorists from getting into the U.S. That puts her right in the line of fire and she is targeted for death and framed for crimes. Discredited, she is forced to go on the run while she tries to clear her name and stop a large-scale terrorist attack set for New Year’s Eve in Times Square"

Sounds potentially interesting, but with McTeigue on board expect it to be too dark and muddy to be properly enjoyed. He's one of the few who can make a simple film like Ninja Assassin unwatchable, so my expectations for this are pretty low.  He recently came aboard the long-developing Bloodsport remake, but it looks like Survivor will be first as filming is set to begin in January. [Deadline]

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Sure Shots: Colin Firth; Olga Kurylenko; Gabrielle Union

* Hey, it looked like Colin Firth was making a concerted effort to take his career in a different direction by joining Matthew Vaughn's The Secret Service, and now he's signing on for another film set in the espionage arena. Firth is set to star and produce A Foreign Country, based on the first novel in Charles Cumming's trilogy about disgraced MI6 officer Thomas Kell. Between Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Firth's upcoming projects, clearly he's grown quite fond of the spy genre.  [ScreenDaily]

* It's been a solid year since we learned that Pierce Brosnan would step back into the world of secret agents in November Man, the new espionage thriller from The Bank Job director, Roger Donaldson. In that time it looks like his potential co-star Dominic Cooper has dropped out, and with filming set to begin next week, the cast has just been firmed up. Former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace), Luke Bracey (GI Joe: Retaliation), and Bill Smitrovich will star in the film based on the seventh book in Bill Granger's series. Brosnan plays an ex-CIA agent who must go against his former pupil in a race to find a woman at the heart of an international conspiracy.

* Chris Rock is surrounding himself with a couple of lovely ladies for his third trip behind the camera, Finally Famous. Already with Rosario Dawson on board, the latest to join is Gabrielle Union, playing Rock's fiancée, who also happens to be a reality TV star. Rock's script centers on a comedian trying to reinvent himself as a serious actor, while Union's character pushes for them to be married on her show. Dawson is a New York journalist in a committed relationship, but sparks fly when she interviews Rock. Filming begins this summer. [TheWrap]

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New international trailer for Susanne Bier's 'Love is All You Need', starring Pierce Brosnan

Susanne Bier is probably the last director you'd think of for light romantic comedies, having helmed such emotionally raw dramas as After the Wedding, In A Better World, and Things We Lost in the Fire. But apparently she's taking a stab at something a little more cheerful and silly with her new film, Love is All You Need.

Originally titled The Bold Hairdresser, the Danish film is about the myriad wackiness and romantic entanglements that crop up when two families get together in Southern Italy to celebrate the wedding of young couple, Astrid and Patrick. Astrid's mother, Ida(Trine Dyrholm), is suffering from cancer and has just caught her husband in a compromising position with his mistress. Pierce Brosnan plays Patrick's father, Philip, who is still struggling to get over his wife's recent death. I think what he needs is a nice new woman on the rebound to crash into.

The newly released trailer shows off the gorgeous Italian setting, which will remind many of Woody Allen's To Rome With Love. Hopefully it's a more consistent charmer than that film was. The trailer is almost completely in Dutch with the exception of Brosnan's dialogue, but even without subtitles it's pretty obvious what's going on. The film opens in Denmark on September 6th, and Sony Pictures Classics will hopefully nail down an American release date soon....

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Pierce Brosnan and Dominic Cooper to star in Roger Donaldson's 'November Man'

For a decade, Pierce Brosnan wore the perfectly tailored suit and downed the shaken not stirred martinis of James Bond, and to me he was the best. Others may be a fan of Sean Connery or even Daniel Craig's more physical version, but I always preferred Bond as a refined, stealthy agent. Brosnan hasn't exactly slowed down since the mantle was passed on, and now he's venturing back into the spy world as part of November Man, an upcoming film directed by Roger Donaldson(The Bank Job).

Brosnan's production company, Irish DreamTime, has entered into a multi-pic deal with The Solution Entertainment Group. November Man is based on There Are No Spies, the first book in Bill Granger's espionage series about an ex-CIA operative brought back in on a very personal mission, and finds himself going against his former pupil in a deadly game involving high-level CIA officials and the Russian president-elect. Dominic Cooper, who co-starred with Brosnan in Mamma Mia, is also on board.  The script will be written by Michael Finch(Predators) and Karl Gajdusek, with the plan to develop this as a franchise. 

November Man will be marketed to buyers this week at Cannes, and I'm digging the pieces they already have in place. Both Brosnan and Cooper have been on a hot streak so expect this film to get a lot of attention.

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