New Trailer for HBO's 'The Normal Heart' Starring Mark Ruffalo and Julia Roberts

Next month HBO is going to drop something big on us on a Sunday night. No, it's not another episode of Game of Thrones, it'll be Ryan Murphy's AIDS drama, The Normal Heart, featuring a cast as strong as any you'll see on the big screen. And with only a few weeks until it hits, a new trailer has been released.

Starring Julia Roberts, Mark Ruffalo, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer, and based on Larry Kramer's award-winning stageplay, the story is set in 1980s New York amidst the fear and confusion of the HIV/AIDS outbreak. Ruffalo is Ned Weeks, who sees the disease ravaging those in the gay community and seeks to raise awareness while politicians and the media keep silent. HBO has done a lot of great films on the subject (And the Band Played On is a personal favorite) and this looks to be another one.

The Normal Heart airs on May 25th.

Read More

Teaser for HBO's 'The Normal Heart' Starring Mark Ruffalo, Julia Roberts, Taylor Kitsch, and More

With True Detective coming to an end tonight, HBO rolled out the heavy artillery tonight with a series of trailers for their upcoming shows. Gotta keep them subscribers up! And one of them that debuted tonight was for The Normal Heart, a film that boasts some serious pedigree and a ton of talent.

Based on Larry Kramer's acclaimed play about the 1980s HIV crisis and directed by Glee's Ryan Murphy, the film also stars Mark Ruffalo, Julia Roberts, Jim Parsons (reprising his role from the Broadway show), Taylor Kitsch, Matt Bomer, Jonathan Groff, and Alfred Molina. Ruffalo plays Ned Weeks, a gay activist in New York City trying to raise awareness about the mysterious disease targeting primarily homosexual men. All of this comes at a time when the media was scared to even talk about the disease, and the public was scared to acknowledge its existence.

Frankly, I'm not a big fan of Murphy but this is a great story with a top notch cast so I'll be tuning in to check it out. The Normal Heart airs on May 25th.

Read More

Taylor Kitsch joins Julia Roberts in 'The Normal Heart'

Last year turned out to be pretty rough for Taylor Kitsch, but the ex-Friday Night Lights star is making all the right moves in bouncing back. His upcoming film may be his best shot yet, as he'll Ryan Murphy's adaptation of The Normal Heart, based on Larry Kramer's Tony award-winning play about the 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis.

The HBO film already boasts an impressive ensemble, with Julia Roberts, Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer, and Mark Ruffalo on board. Kramer is adapting his own script, largely seen as an autobiographical work. Kitsch will play Bruce Niles, a prominent investment banker who becomes an important activist. Parson will be jumping back into the role he originated on stage, playing gay activist Tommy Boatwright. Roberts is Dr. Emma Brookner, who treats some of the earliest HIV cases. The story is largely told from the perspective of Ned Weeks, portrayed by Ruffalo, who sees his gay community ravaged by the disease and start seeking answers. Bomer plays Felix Turner, a reporter and Ned's lover. Alec Baldwin had been up for a role previously, but his name hasn't been mentioned of late.

Paired up with last year's Oscar-nominated documentary, How to Survive a Plague (Julian's review here), we're getting more in-depth looks at that time period and that particular crisis than we have in years. We saw a flood of them back in the 90s, but we were absent the luxury of time and perspective. Production on The Normal Heart begins later this year for a 2014 release. Keep an eye on this one. [Deadline]

Read More