Category Archives: Book

‘Killing Them Softly’ Starring Brad Pitt Releases New Trailer

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Based on the crime novel Cogan’s Trade by George V. Higgins comes Brad Pitt’s new flick Killing Them Softly, the trailer of which hit earlier this week. Pitt plays Jackie Cogan, an enforcer hired by the mob to track down the men who robbed one of their high-stakes card games.

The film is adapted and directed by Andrew Dominik and in addition to Pitt, it stars Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins and James Gandolfini. It is set to release September 21 in the UK and October 19 in the US.

What do you think of the trailer?

Leave your comments below!

‘Cloud Atlas’ Directors Release a Trailer Complete with Commentary

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We reported back in June that the adaptation of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas would be released October 26th. At the time, we really only knew about the book and it’s unique structure consisting of six nested stories. Now we have a bit more information about the upcoming film and an intense trailer to hike up the excitement.

The writers and directors, Tom Twkyer, Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski, released a five-minute long trailer for their new film, including a little intro of them explaining how they decided to make the film in the first place.

And now for the trailer.

The film certainly has an all-star cast which includes Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving, Susan Sarandon, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Hugh Grant and Jim Broadbent. The poster, which was also recently released, highlights the extensive cast:

With all this new content, are you getting excited for the film? Leave your thoughts on the trailer in the comments.

Adaptation will be covering the novel and film in upcoming episodes, so stay tuned!

Ang Lee’s ‘Life of Pi’ Trailer Released

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Life of Pi, a novel by Yann Martel published in 2001, tells the story of a boy who survives a massive shipwreck and travels around on a small boat with the only other living survivor, a Bengal tiger. The film version, directed by Ang Lee, just released it’s first trailer.

To be released November 21st in the US and December 21st in the UK, the film stars Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Kahn and Tobey Maguire. According to IMDB Maguire is cast as author Yann Martel, so it will be interesting to see how screenwriter David Magee works him in.

Does the trailer make you want to see the film? Or perhaps read the book?

Adaptation will be covering the book and film in upcoming episodes, so stayed tuned!

 

New Six Minute Clip of Joe Wright’s ‘Anna Karenina’

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Following up on the release of the gorgeous posters and the riveting trailer for the upcoming adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, director Joe Wright has released a six minute clip from the film.

The film will be released September 7th in the UK and November 9th in the US. It stars Kiera Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Johnson, Kelly Macdonald and Matthew Macfadyen.

Following this clip, I’m really interested to see how the film comes together as a whole. The filming seems a little abrupt to me, but in a stylistic way that might make more sense when we can see it all from the beginning.

What do you think of this clip?

Don’t forget to stayed tuned for Adaptation #16 which will be discussing the novel Anna Karenina.

Adaptation #15: The Perks of Being An Infinite Lorax

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Kendyl, Corey and Dorin finally get to see the film Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax and then discuss the high school experience via Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Discussion of Perks starts at 31:47

Also, check out our episode on the Perks film!

*WARNING*

The Perks of Being a Wallflower contains mentions of child molestation, rape, suicide, teen pregnancy, abortion, drugs, sex, and mental health issues. As such, they are all a part of our discussion. If any of this offends you or could be a trigger for you, please proceed with caution.

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Finally, We Have Our Finnick!

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It’s been a long wait, but finally Finnick Odair has been cast for next year’s Catching Fire. There have been so many names flying around lately, but Lionsgate has finally narrowed it down to one. And the part of the flirtatious fisherman goes to…

Sam Claflin!

You may recognize him as Snow White’s childhood friend from Snow White and the Huntsman or maybe as Philip from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

If you’ve been listening to our podcasts, it will be no surprise to you that this is a welcome bit of casting for the Adaptation team. I hadn’t considered this before now, but I’m certainly not disappointed and I think that Claflin will be able to bring the right attitude to the role.

What do you think about this casting? Is he what you expected?

Click here for more Hunger Games / Catching Fire news!

First Look at the Ark in the Upcoming Epic ‘Noah’

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Earlier this week, we reported that Sir Anthony Hopkins joined the cast of Darren Aronofsky’s adaptation of the biblical story Noah’s Ark. Now, Aronofsky has given a first look at the set.

He tweeted a picture with the text, ‘I dreamt about this since I was 13. And now it’s a reality. Genesis 6:14.’

For those that haven’t memorized their scripture, Genesis 6:14 reads, ‘So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out’ (NIV).

Also in the cast are actors Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson and Logan Lerman. For more details, see the announcement we posted previously.

This set is a dream come true for Aronofsky. What do you think of it?

Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Comic-Con Shows Footage from the Film Adaptation of ‘The Host’

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While most of the attention is focused on The Twilight Saga, I have to admit that I am even more excited for the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s 2008 novel The Host. To be released March 29, 2013 it tells the story of earth post-alien invasion where ‘souls’ take over human bodies. One ‘soul’ called Wanderer is put inside the human body of Melanie who has been living with the last group of unoccupied humans on earth. Melanie’s mind fights the implantation of Wanderer and leads them both back to the group of ‘rebel’ humans.

The film is being directed by Andrew Niccol who also wrote the screenplay. The cast will include Saoirse Ronan as Wanderer/Melanie, Diane Kruger as the Seeker who is trying to catch the rebel humans, and William Hurt, Jake Abel, and Max Irons as part of the human community she is after.

Some footage from The Host was screened at the Twilight panel at Comic Con this week and ComingSoon.net reported on it. Here is what they said:

The footage they showed, not unlike Breaking Dawn, began with Saorise Ronan’s character opening her eyes to reveal an inhuman coloration. She’s in some kind a facility and has just been taken over by an alien life force. Diane Kruger’s character (also taken over) talks to her and reveals that most of Earth has been invaded and that human bodies are conquered and controlled. This new girl was formerly a famous resistance fighter and she needs the alien inside her to probe her memories.

The scene turns to a series of flashbacks with, in each shot, much of the frame blurred. Ronan explains that the girl was named Melanie Stryder and that she managed to escape the early wave of attacks on Earth. We see a home in Louisana where Melanie’s father kills himself rather than let his body be taken by men in all-white suits with white ties.

When the alien in her body reveals that she has a brother, Melanie’s personality fights back in her head, furious that her own mind is being used against her.

We see the story progress and Melanie go on the run with her brother and Max Iron’s character. There’s also a scene of Irons and Ronan making out against the side of a trailer.

A (presumably later) scene has the inhabited-Melanie being led to a cave in a series of desert mountains. There are men there that want to kill her because they don’t trust the alien within her, but William Hurt’s character (dressed like a grizzled cowboy) comes in with a shotgun and stops them.

A final scene shows a caravan of still-human people moving in trucks down a highway. They’re stopped by a helicopter (the body of which is completely covered in mirrors) and then pursued by cars of a similar design. There’s gunfire and the trucks finally pull over, but two of the drivers decide to crash into a wall rather than let themselves be taken. The footage cuts just as they’re about to collide.

I really wish that I could see these scenes for myself because I’ve been dying to know how they deal with the two-souls-one-body issue. I really enjoyed the novel so I hope that this film stays true to the themes the novel brings up, such as the definition of humanity and opposing perspectives.

What are you looking forward to in the film? What are you concerned about?

Leave your answers in the comments!

7 Minutes of ‘Breaking Dawn Part 2’ Airs at Comic-Con

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Anticipation is mounting for the new installment of The Twilight Saga that will be released this November. Part 1 of Breaking Dawn was released last November on a bit of a cliff hanger, with Bella’s eyes opening to reveal vampire red. At the Twilight panel at Comic-Con this week the first seven minutes of Bill Condon’s Breaking Dawn Part 2  were shown. Hollywood.com was there and wrote this description (SPOILERS!):

The movie opens with Bella’s (Kristen Stewart) eyes — picking up just where we left off. She has super senses, and Condon shows it off with zooms to dust particles, water droplets, and more. Looking around, Bella sees Edward (Robert Pattinson) reaching out for her hand. They embrace, and Twilight whips out a signature romantic cuddling moment.

Edward puts it bluntly: “We’re the same temperature now.” The two look in the mirror. Bella obviously loves the new look — Stewart even cracks a smile! She turns and gives Edward a big hug, and her newfound strength catches him off-guard. Frankly, she almost breaks him. When he stands back up straight after Bella’s enthusiastic hug, she gives him a good ol’ fashioned butt squeeze for good measure (and with vampiric muscle, it makes him jump).

Bella really wants to see Renesmee, but Edward insists she hunts first. The two run out the door and into the woods — at super speed! It’s like a Flash comic. Again, we see Bella’s super sense. She zooms in on blooming flowers and spider’s spinning web. She leaps over a waterfall. This is most definitely Super Bella.

Bella eventually picks up the scent of a deer, but she finds herself distracted by a nearby mountain climber (who is miles away). She can see his neck. It’s calling to her vampiric thirst. She runs at him, climbing up the face of a cliff in super speed. (It looks as nuts as you would hope.) Bella is ready to pounce —Stewart’s even looking like she’s in tiger stance. Fierce. Luckily, Edward talks her out of it. Bella jumps straight off the face of the cliff and focuses back on the deer. When she crosses paths with the creature again, she comes face to face with a mountain lion. No big deal, Bella wrestles the mountain lion. So good.

The seven minutes conclude with Jacob’s (Taylor Lautner) entrance. He thinks Edward and Bella look perfect together. Everyone’s happy! It all wraps up with Edward and Jacob bringing Bella in to meet Renesmee…

From that description, it looks like Part 2 is sticking extremely close to the book, and I for one cannot wait to see Bella do battle with a mountain lion.

A second clip was shown at the panel of the Cullens trying to teach Bella to act human. Hollywood.com seemed to really enjoy the comedy of it:

The Cullen family is coaching her on how to move with lots of handy insight: “It will irritate your eyes at first;” “Remember to cross your legs!” “Go slowly;” “Blink at least three times a minute.” “Remember to breath!” Lots of physical humor here in a way we haven’t seen in Twilight. Even Lautner gets a joke, comparing Bella to a cartoon character. Genuinely a hoot.

What does everyone think of these descriptions? They are certainly gettin me pumped for the November release!

Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Click here for more Twilight / Breaking Dawn news!

The New ‘Oz’ Trailer Hits and Actors Hint at a Sequel

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When I reported on the first poster for Sam Raimi’s Oz: The Great and Powerful, I admitted that I was skeptical about how Oz would hold up to the classic images from the 1939 film. After seeing the trailer, however, my excitement has increased immensely.

I think the thing that really struck me was that they’ve done the beginning in black and white and done Oz in color, just like in The Wizard of Oz. It’s a small thing, I know, but it’s nods like this that will get fans on board right away. I have to say, though, Oz has a distinctly Wonderland feel to it, probably due to the fact that it has the same producers.

The cast will include James Franco as the young wizard from Kansas and Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz as the witches Theodora, Glinda and Evanora respectively. The movie will be released March 8 in the US and the UK.

While I was searching around for more info on the film, I found this interview with James Franco and Mila Kunis from back in April. They both describe the characters they play, and James hints that this film could start a franchise.

What do you think of the new trailer? And the possibility of more trips back to Oz?

Leave your opinions in the comments!

‘Frankenweenie’ Gets a New Trailer That Calls Back to Traditional Monster Movies

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Disney has just released a new trailer for Tim Burton’s upcoming Frankenweenie, a child-like adaptation of the 1931 film Frankenstein. This trailer imitates the monster movie trailers of old:

Due to be released October 5 in the US and October 17 in the UK, the film stars the voice talents of Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short.

Click here for more details about the origins of the film and to see the other trailer.

What do you think of this new trailer?

Leave your thoughts in the comments!

‘Mockingjay’ Officially Split in Two, Release Dates Announced

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While all of us have been waiting with bated breath to see who would be cast in the newest installment of the Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Lionsgate have been hard at work making decisions about the future. Mockingjay, the third book in the trilogy and the epic conclusion to the story of Katniss Everdeen and Panem, will be coming out on November 21, 2014, but that’s not all.

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New Images from ‘The Hobbit’ from Comic Con Scroll

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The recent release of ‘The Scroll’ for Comic Con ’12 is a breath of fresh air for all of those waiting for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to be released. For any who have been keeping up to date on breaking news and press releases about this film it is nice to finally be getting something other than bad news about casting, directing, locations, and so forth. This little teaser is exactly what the community needs to finally feel assured that this movie is actually going to happen.

Not only do we know it is moving ever closer to a release date but now also have an idea as to how accurately the movie will be following the book story. Jackson was generally praised for his skill at faithfully adapting the books to film, though many a fan lamented the few cuts and alterations which were made. The biggest question on everyone’s mind this far has essentially been whether or not Jackson wants to follow the Hobbit storyline as neatly as he did in the LotR trilogy, or if he even can do so and still make a good film.

The scroll release seems to allay some of these worries. From the left to right the scenes seem to fairly correctly demonstrate that at least the main structure, and some of the particular details which carry it, of the plot are being replicated on film as accurately as can be done. While designed as a children’s book, the Hobbit tells a story which has the power to captivate all audiences, especially those waiting to see on the big screen just how the events of the LotR series come to be.

The story told on the scroll is not complete, but it is a tantalizing and promising glimpse!

See the full scroll here.

Have the pictures of ‘The Scroll’ captivated you? Which scene are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments!

Simon Says ‘I’m Here’ in the cast of The Mortal Instruments

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In a twist that surprised even Cassandra Clare herself, the casting for Simon Lewis has been determined for the upcoming Mortal Instruments film!  Though originally this news was not supposed to be released until July, our favorite author/blogger posted the whole story just yesterday—and made no secret of the fact that she is absolutely thrilled with the casting (no sarcasm whatsoever).

For those of you who haven’t read the books (yet), Simon serves as the ever-loyal Duckie to Clary’s Andie.  He’s the endearing best friend, sidekick—and happens to hold an unrequited love for the main character.  And, per usual, Clary is completely blind to it all.  To top it all off, Simon also spends a good portion of the first book as a rat—and I’m not speaking figuratively.

Can I get a sympathetic ‘aw’?

So who’s the lucky guy playing the unlucky-in-love Simon?  None other than Robert Sheehan from Cassandra Clare’s beloved TV show, Misfits.

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Isn’t he cute?  And while I haven’t really seen him act in anything, he looks like he might be able to pull off the requisite endearing qualities, but what do you think?  Are you as happy about this casting as Cassandra Clare seems to be?

Oh, and as an added bonus…check out the sneak peek movie posters for City of Bones!  They have a certain minimalist appeal, don’t you think?

Lionsgate Releases Facebook App to Track ‘Catching Fire’ Casting

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And right at the top is Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee. We knew that he had been offered the role, and this confirms that he has accepted and is officially the Head Gamemaker for the 75th Hunger Games.

The app itself is definitely worth a browse. It has boxes for every tribute that they have yet to cast and clickable boxes for the characters that they already have, where you can learn about the character and the actor playing the role. What I found the most interesting is that there are two unlabeled boxes, one with a female silhouette and the other with a male.

I’ve been trying to think about who other than the tributes need to be cast for this film, and I came up with a few ideas. Spoilers, kinda (highlight to see text): There are the two runaways headed for District 13 that Katniss meets in the woods, possibly a brief glimpse of President Coin at the end, the whistling man from District 11 who gets shot and the Head Peacekeeper of District 12 who whips Gale.

Who do you think the blank boxes are for? My guess is that if they are unlabeled it’s because the name might be too spoiler-filled.

Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Click here for more Hunger Games/Catching Fire news!

‘You Can’t Ask Why About Love,’ According to the New Anna Karenina Poster

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EDIT: Check out episode #16 Anna’s Love is a Battlefield where we discuss the novel and episode #19 All the World’s a Stage where we discuss the film.

The new adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina released a new poster in anticipation of it’s release on September 7th in the UK and Nov 9 in the US. A few weeks ago, the first poster and trailer were released with a decidedly glitzy tone. The new poster seems to be stepping away from the grand-ness of the first, but keeping that classic period film feel while declaring, ‘you can’t ask why about love.’

With the title character standing solo center stage and the train baring down on her in the background, this poster reminds me much more of the images that come into my own head when Anna Karenina is mentioned.

What do you think of the new poster? And the new tagline?

Leave your thoughts in the comments!

The Secrets of Nicholas Flamel to be Revealed on the Big Screen!

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ImageTo be perfectly honest, I wonder how many people immediately think of Harry Potter when they hear the name ‘Nicholas Flamel’.  A month ago, that would have been my first response.

But now?  My mind immediately jumps to the bestselling series by Irish author Michael Scott, featuring the famed alchemist and his wife, Perenelle, as the mentors of 15-year-old twins who are prophesied to be the keys to the fate of the world.  With ancient mythologies meeting the modern world over an ancient prophecy, the first book, The Alchemyst, reminded me more of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series than Harry Potter.

And I absolutely loved it.

Even better, this great read is now set to become a major motion picture!  Film rights to the first book have been granted to the Australian studio, AMPCO Films.  Production is due to begin in February, with Michael Scott himself in charge of providing the script for the movie.  So hopefully, fans of this New York Times bestselling series can rest easy with the thought that the script is safe in the hands of the author.  After all, who better to make sure that the film stays faithful to the book?

In the meantime, I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with Scott’s writing by reading The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, if you haven’t already.  Trust me when I tell you that the elixir of eternal life is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the secrets of Nicholas Flamel.

‘Noah’ Coming to Theaters in 2014 with Sir Anthony Hopkins, Emma Watson and Russell Crowe

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While 2007 brought us Steve Carell’s hilarious modern day portrayal of the biblical tale Noah’s Ark in Evan Almighty, 2014 promises a more classic retelling of the story. Darren Aronofsky, the director of Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan, co-wrote the script for Noah with John Logan and the film is set for a March 2014 release.

The cast will include Russell Crowe as Noah and pair him once again with his A Beautiful Mind co-star Jennifer Connelly who will be playing Naameh, Noah’s wife. Logan Lerman and Douglas Booth will be playing Shem and Ham, two of Noah’s three sons. Emma Watson is also attached to the project, playing Ila, which I’m guessing is going to be the wife of one of the sons.

There’s not much information on the project yet, but it broke into the news this week with the announcement that Sir Anthony Hopkins has joined the cast as Noah’s grandfather Methuselah, the 969 year old man who’s death causes God to delay the flood in mourning.

What do you think of this cast? Leave your opinions in the comments!

Adaptation #12: AL: Vamp Hunt (dig)?

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Episode #12 brings to you the host’s opinions on Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter the film and comes to the conclusion that we should write all the scripts in Hollywood from now on.

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‘Oz: The Great and Powerful’ Gives a First Look at the Land of Oz

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Following in the ‘grand’ tradition of two similarly themed films coming out around the same time, 2013 is set to bring us two more treks into the the world of Oz created by L. Frank Baum. One is animated and follows the novel Dorothy of Oz by Baum’s great grandson Roger S. Baum. The other is the live action Oz: The Great and Powerful that we got a first look at this week with the release of its first poster.

Oz is meant to be a prequel to the 1939 film that explains how the wizard became the wizard. Directed by Sam Raimi, the cast will include James Franco as the young wizard from Kansas and Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz as the witches Theodora, Glinda and Evanora respectively. Disney, as well as the producers of  Alice in Wonderland are behind this film, and I think the poster shows it.

Written by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire, it will interesting to see how the team approaches this classic story and the land that has become so iconic. I’m personally a fan of the casting, especially Michelle Williams as Glinda, as she definitely has a ethereal quality that I think is perfect. As for the poster, I like the direction that they seem to be taking with the feel of it, but that’s not to say I’m all in on this concept.

Oz exists in a purely 1939, advent of technicolor, Judy Garland-inhabited place for me and going back seems a little like messing with something sacred.

How do you feel about the poster and a journey back to Oz? Leave you thoughts in the comments!