Aug 26 2009 Susan Sarandon is Your Mom, Dude! (Dude Being Shia LaBeouf)
Good news, Susan Saran-fans (as you call yourselves)! The 62-year-old actress has been cast as Shia LaBeouf's mother in Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, and it sounds like Michael Douglas will be kissin' her:
Sarandon will play the mother of a young Wall Street trader (Shia LaBeouf) who falls under the seductive influence of Gordon Gekko. Michael Douglas and Frank Langella also star. Production begins next month in New York.
So Sarandon will have birthed 23-year-old LaBeouf at age 39? I suppose that plays, so long as they add an updated quote where Gekko says, "Greed is good. As are the wonders of modern fertility drugs."
Susan Sarandon goes to 'Wall Street 2' [Variety]
Apr 28 2009 Research Shows 'Wall Street 2' is Coming, Desired
Wall Street 2, the once-rumored sequel that only deserves to exist inside maybe a Ben Stiller Show sketch, is now official. Oliver Stone has signed on to once again direct and Shia LaBeouf is negotiating to play the new Wall Streeter. From EW:
The much-discussed Wall Street sequel is getting closer to launch, EW has learned. Michael Douglas will return as corporate raider Gordon Gekko, the role for which he won the 1987 Best Actor Oscar, and Oliver Stone will be back as the director of the followup to the movie that put the phrase "Greed is good" into the popular lexicon.Shia LaBeouf is in talks to play a young trader in Wall Street 2, which is set 20 years after the first installment. The film's plot will revolve around Gekko's life after he gets out of jail during the current economic climate.
"I think it's time to take another hard look at trading and the economy and what went wrong in the last few years," said Douglas Monday night during the premiere of Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. "Everybody's talking about the economy and people are scrutinizing it. Whenever I mention Wall Street 2, everybody goes, 'Yeah. Interesting. I'd see that.'"
Can't argue with Michael Douglas. It's apparent he's done the market research to know this will work. He's both aware of the current economic situation and he's casually asked some people about it!
"So, party-goer, say I, Michael Douglas, was going to make another Wall Street--calling it Wall Street 2, we'll say..."
"OK..."
"Pretty good, right?"
"Oh... yeah, yeah, definitely. Almost painfully relevant. I mean, it sounds... interesting."
"Right, exactly. So you'd see it then?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Fantastic. I'm going to get in touch with that new Indiana Jones kid. He's great at making lackluster sequels to 20-year-old franchises."
(Thanks, Nick.)
Aug 5 2008 Oliver Stone's 'W' Poster Finds More Flaws in Bush's Polished Veneer
Whoa, wait a minute. You mean to tell me that aside from entering into an unwinnable war, overstepping the limits of the executive branch, and using fear tactics to strip citizens of their basic liberties, this dude's been wearing make-up to appear more presentable for television cameras? And rather than delivering speeches in a voice so resounding it would echo through the halls of every foreclosed home in the country, he's been using microphones? And he's still in office? If all this is going on, he's probably been brushing his teeth and regularly showering, too. Thank you for another eye-opening exposé, Oliver Stone. Leno monologues usually have me laughing too hard to understand their significance, and rarely suggest Bush may be sneaking a peek during his grooming. But this... this speaks volumes.
Jul 29 2008 'W' Trailer Will Surely Lose Bush His 'Easily Swayed by Caricatures' Supporters
Well, the W trailer is out, and anyone who was worried Oliver Stone wouldn't present a fair representation can put their fears to bed. It totally seems like a fair fight when W is about to literally fist fight his president father.
Continue Reading " 'W' Trailer Will Surely Lose Bush His 'Easily Swayed by Caricatures' Supporters "
Jun 5 2008 Oliver Stone's 'W' Teaser Poster
"Here's what I'm thinking for the poster: just a 'W'. Clean, simple, elegant. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe it should also have a pronunciation key, so everyone knows how funny it is how Bush pronounces 'W'--make it sort of like a dictionary entry. While we're at it, also throw something up about what an unlikely president he is. And maybe a quote--one of those goofy things Bush is known for saying. Two quotes, maybe? A dozen--let's go with a dozen. Is there still room for a picture of Bush wearing a dunce cap, and using a bomb as a pacifier? No? OK, we'll save that. I just hope this isn't too subtle."
'W' Poster [Ion Cinema]
May 8 2008 First Impressions: Josh Brolin as 'W'
The only thing stranger than watching Josh Brolin do a two-hour impression of Will Ferrell doing an impression of George W. Bush (or possibly of an old, nondescript man toiling through a lemon) will be watching Jason Sudeikis doing an impression of Josh Brolin's impression for the SNL parody. Why not just get the guy from Harold and Kumar, and stop pretending the line between impression and acting-tribute is so distinct?
The EW cover that also includes Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush-impression is below the cut.
Apr 8 2008 'W' Administration Isn't Based on Professional Sports Schedules?
Apparently the Bush film that casts Josh Brolin as the president and Elizabeth Banks as Laura might not be entirely accurate? The Hollywood Reporter has sent a copy of Oliver Stone's W script to four notable Bush biographers to get their comments, and they've had some mixed reactions. Notably, Dead Certain author Robert Draper criticized the screenplay, saying, "It leaves you with the impression that the White House is run as a fraternity house with no reverence for hierarchy, the office itself or for the implications of policy ... This notion that his schedule is driven by what's on ESPN is ludicrous." Apparently that notion completely neglects the ESPN 2 schedule, since Bush will never enter a meeting until the Atlas Ball competition has determined the World's Strongest Man.
Apr 7 2008 Newton and Gruffudd Appropriately Join 'W' Cast
Oliver Stone, continuing his trend of not-at-all glamorizing his George W. Bush biopic, has cast Thandie Newton and Ioan Gruffudd as Condoleeza Rice and Tony Blair, respectively. As you may recall, they join a cast that already confusingly includes Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush and Josh Brolin as W himself.
Clearly the announcement of Jessicas Alba and Biel as the Bush daughters can't be far behind, but who do you think Stone will go with for Cheney? I'd say smart money is on a bald-capped George Clooney.
Thandie Newton, Ioan Gruffudd cast in 'W' [Hollywood Reporter]
Mar 27 2008 Serious Actors Join 'W'
Oliver Stone's George W. biopic has taken one more step in its quest to become a near-parody of itself, adding two more unlikely yet somehow completely expected cast members: Ellen Burstyn and James Cromwell as Ma and Pa Bush. Like Stone's casting of Anthony Hopkins in the role of Nixon, and the more recent acquisition of Josh Brolin as W. himself, these casting choices just scream "I'm making a serious movie with actors, not impressionists--oh, and one hottie."
Don't worry, Dana Carvey. Maybe you can still get a cameo as Perot.
Oliver Stone casts parents of 'W' [Variety]
Mar 26 2008 'Plain Jane' Banks Playing Laura Bush in 'W'
The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Meet Dave and Meet Bill star Elizabeth Banks is in final talks to portray Laura Bush in W, wacko Oliver Stone's biopic of bumper sticker subject George W. Bush. Aside from my initial shock that "Meet" isn't in the title, I'm surprised and pleased Stone is going with normal, everyday people instead of trying to glam it up, Hollywood style. He could have easily gone with some typical, inappropriate "pretty girl" casting for the First Lady, but instead he's chosen just an average girl with flowing blonde hair, sharp, angular features, and a svelte young figure that, for whatever reason, looks amazing in a tight white tank-top. The actress will join the perfectly ordinary, not at all chiseled-featured, Josh Brolin (playing W.), who was somehow able to marry the beautiful Diane Lane despite his everyday, average-Joe looks.
Elizabeth Banks cast as Laura Bush [Hollywood Reporter]
Jan 21 2008 Some Other Crap That Happened...
- Penelope Cruz will lend her voice to G-Force, playing an animated, super-intelligent guinea pig named Juarez. If they base the character's look on her, Juarez has the potential to replace both Minnie Mouse and Jerry in Drag as my top animated rodent crush. [Hollywood Reporter]
- Ryan Gosling is reportedly playing the role of Jack Ryan--the Tom Clancy-created character portrayed famously by Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford, and later by Ben Affleck--in an upcoming film, but it won't be based on one of Clancy's novels. How is the Clancipedia supposed to put together a legitimate canon if Hollywood is going to keep throwing out this kind of bullshit? [Moviehole]
- It sounds like Josh Brolin will be playing George W. in the aptly-titled Bush, Oliver Stone's planned biopic on the president. After all the times he corrected Mikey, it will be good to hear Brand making some verbal faux pas for once. [Variety]
- The Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull trailer will air on Entertainment Tonight on Valentine's Day, giving us dweebs our only shot at any gratification for the holiday. [CHUD]
Aug 29 2007 A Pile of Movie News
- While Corey Feldman is in Vancouver shooting his part in the Lost Boys sequel, Corey Haim has yet to leave the US, citing immigration problems getting in and out of the country. In other words, Canada can't handle that much awesome at once. [MTV]
- Susan Sarandon said in a recent junket that Speed Racer is using special cameras that will keep everything in the frame in focus through layering images. How soon until this reaches the porn industry, allowing the guy giving it to her from behind to sneer with the same clarity as the guy masturbating in front of them? Not soon enough. [Collider]
- Variety reports that Owen Wilson's recent suicide attempt and hospitalization "are throwing a major monkeywrench into production of two movies and causing marketing headaches for two more." Obviously written by the same reporter that said, "9/11 attacks throw nearby souvenir shops into tizzy." [Variety]
- George Lucas has hired John Ridley to write Red Tails, a film about the first African-American fighter pilots, the Tuskegee Airmen. Writing the latest Star Wars trilogy must have used up all of Lucas's amazingly realistic and believable dialogue. [Variety]
- Oliver Stone is set to direct Pinkville, yet another Vietnam war piece following his previous efforts of Platoon, Heaven & Earth, Born on the Fourth of July, and the seldom-seen family sitcom Viet-Moms. [Variety]
Jul 3 2007 Oliver Stone Officially Part of Great Satan
"...and then the zionists will be consumed by the fires of Allah. Okay, next question - you with the ponytail, sugartits."
Iranian President Mahmoud Nahassapeemapoopypants has rejected a proposal by Oliver Stone to make a documentary about him, because Stone is part of the "Great Satan".
"I sent a negative answer by Ahmadinejad to Oliver Stone," said Medi Kalhof, the Iranian president's media advisor. "It is right that this person is considered part of the opposition in the U.S., but opposition in the U.S. is a part of the Great Satan."
In his defense, Ahmedinejad had just seen Alexander. For his part, Stone was upset, reportedly telling friends that the President's blue carpet and gold curtain rods would have looked really sharp on camera.
