Anthony Mackie to Finally Play Jimi Hendrix in Long-Developing Biopic

Heard any good buzz about Andre Benjamin's Jimi Hendrix biopic, All Is By My Side? Probably not, and a big part of the reason, besides his shaky performance, is that it doesn't feature any of the legendary musician's actual music. Kind of a drag. Paul Greengrass ran into similar issues a few years ago when developing Jimi, a film that would have starred Anthony Mackie as Hendrix. The Hendrix Estate squashed that film, but apparently any problems they had are gone because the film is back on.

Mackie will finally get to play Jimi Hendrix, only now it will be Ol Parker directing from his own screenplay. The story is said to recount the final nine days in Hendrix's life. Thandie Newton will play Hendrix's wife, with Noomi Rapace sought to possibly play his ex-girlfriend, Kathy Etchingham. Presumably there will also be someone to play Monika Dannemann, his girlfriend at the time of his death in 1970.

One would think if the project is moving again that rights to Hendrix's music have been secured, but so far there's no confirmation on that or a start date. [TheWrap]

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Trailer Time: Retreat, starring Thandie Newton and Cillian Murphy

There's still no US release date nailed down for Retreat, the writing/directing debut from Carl Tibbetts. Pretty strange considering he's pulled together a kickin' cast of Thandie Newton, Cillian Murphy, and Jamie Bell, in a psycho thriller that looks pretty tense. Plus these single set flicks are kinda hot right now. So what seems to be the issue?

Maybe this new UK trailer gives us some clues. The story centers on a troubled married couple(Newton and Murphy) who jet to their favorite island getaway in order to help repair their relationship. But things start to go haywire when a man washes up on shore, claiming to be a soldier of some sort and spouting off about a virus ravaging the world. This guy see Contagion once too often? Or is he telling the truth? 

When the first trailer dropped back in May, I said then that it seemed a little hectic and frenzied. That could be good, but I hope it's not a cover for a story that doesn't let the mystery settle in so we can see it's effects on these people. If it's too chaotic the whole thing will fall apart. This trailer doesn't assuage my fears. Retreat will hit the UK on October 14th, and hopefull here not too long after...

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Trailer Time: Retreat, starring Cillian Murphy and Thandie Newton

After Jamie Bell totally ripped The Eagle away from Channing Tatum a few months ago, I was hoping he'd sart to get a little more action. He's been great in pretty much everything he's done lately, and has come a long way from the ballet dancing Billy Elliot. Today saw the release of a Cannes sales trailer for one of his upcoming films, Retreat, which also stars Cillian Murphy(28 Days Later) and Thandie Newton(The Truth About Charlie). By the look of it, it's an enclosed thriller about a couple(Murphy and Newton) who take a break at a secluded island retreat, only to have their vacation when a disturbed man(Bell) washed up on the shore, raving about a pandemic ravaging the outside world. 

The film marks the directorial debut of Carl Tibbetts. Sony picked up the US rights but hasn't laid down a release date yet. It doesn't look too bad, but I think what the trailer does is maybe give us one scene too many, because it seems pretty clear to me exactly where the story is headed. Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it. Check it out below...

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Trailer Time: Vanishing on 7th Street, starring Hayden Christensen and Thandie Newton

Brad Anderson directed one of my favorite films of the last few years, the murder mystery on a train flick, Transsiberian. But before that he also provided a couple of decent flicks that caught my eye, even if they didn't exactly bowl me over, specifically The Machinist(best known for Christian Bale's drastic weight loss for the role) and 1998's Next Stop Wonderland.  His latest film Vanishing on 7th Street stars Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton, and John Lequizamo as survivors of a global blackout that seems to have caused nearly the entire world's population to vanish into thin air.  Not sure how that works but the trailer looks like the opening to every failed ABC tv series that's come out since Lost. Empty streets, run down buildings, lots of people standing around looking astonished. Here's hoping it's better than it appears to be.

Vanishing on 7th Street should open in theaters on February 18th, 2011, but you can get it On Demand starting in January. Check out the trailer and let us know what you think!

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