Movie fans will again have stars in their eyes when The Lovely Bones gets the red carpet treatment at the Embassy Theatre. Two of the film’s biggest names – Oscar winner Susan Sarandon and nominee Saoirse Ronan – will attend the Kiwi premiere on December 14. New Zealand stars Rose McIver and Carolyn Dando are also expected to attend, along with Peter Jackson, who co-wrote, produced and directed the film. Fans will have the opportunity to collect autographs on the red carpet. The last major Hollywood film to have a Wellington premiere was Jackson’s King Kong in 2005, when thousands lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the stars. More..
Laurelin writes: Viggo Mortensen is scheduled to appear on Good Morning America (ABC) on Tuesday, November 17th. The program begins at 7 am. Set those DVR’s!
Sir Ian Mckellen and Kevin Spacey have been honoured for their contribution to the arts at a glitzy ceremony in London. The Lord of the Rings star walked away with a trophy for his hard work in showbusiness at the annual Variety Club Awards on Sunday. Spacey, who serves as artistic director for London’s Old Vic theatre, was presented with the theatre award. More..
Continuing an annual tradition, Hobbiton Movie Set and Farm Tours opened its doors to Matamata locals yesterday. By the time the last tour had left over 600 people had undertaken a guided tour of the set and watched the sheep shearing demonstration whilst many decided to stay on for a “Second Breakfast” at The Shires Rest Café & Function Centre. Read the rest of this entry »
“I’m a 22-year-old who’s been making films all my life – how can I get a job on The Hobbit?” Towards the end of a remarkable two hours with Guillermo del Toro, this question got a remarkably friendly answer from the 44-year-old Mexican who has made seven movies and who’s getting ready to make his next two in Wellington. More.. (Paid registration required)
NEW YORK – A man named Michael from New York wakes up in the desert, much to his surprise. Fortunately, a pleasant-looking village is nearby. Unfortunately, Michael wants to get back to New York and finds he can’t. “That’s not possible,” the Village elder tells him. “There is no New York. There’s only the Village.” “I want out!” Michael says. “There is no out,” insists the leader. “There is only in.” More..
diedye sends along word that Dominic Monaghan, promoting ‘FlashForward’, will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live – Nov.11th (ABC) & The Bonnie Hunt Show – Nov. 12th (syndicated). Meanwhile Viggo Mortensen, promoting ‘The Road’, will be on Late Show with David Letterman – Friday, Nov.20th (CBS). Set those DVRs!
Film director Guillermo del Toro is to take time out from making The Hobbit to help out some other little movie guys in Wellington. Mexico-born del Toro has given up his valuable time to help independent New Zealander Sam Kelly raise money to make a musical feature film. One For The Road, directed by Kelly, is due to begin filming in January, with just $60,000 of its $1.5 million budget raised so far. In a bid to close the gap, the film’s makers are hoping to sell out Wellington’s Paramount Theatre tonight. More..
Graphic representations of how movie stars and their critics rate, according to Metacritic.com. Metacritic.com is an acclaimed Web site that combines thousands of media reviews of entertainment offerings — movies, games, books and albums — into a Metascore, a sort of weighted average of critics’ reviews that ranges from zero to 100. Analysis of just a small subset of the site’s information shows the power of numbers to confirm — or defy — expectation. More..
On the star list: Elijah Wood (#1), Viggo Mortensen (#3), Ian Holm (#4), Ian McKellen (#31), Cate Blanchett (#38)
Laurelin writes: Viggo Mortensen is scheduled to appear on Good Morning America (ABC) on Tuesday, November 17th. The program begins at 7 am. Set those DVR’s!
