Screen Junkies » mike newell

Let’s Expect To See Ralph Fiennes In Mike Newell’s ‘Great Expectations’

Wookie Johnson — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:32:42 +0000

With Hollywood having not realized that she starred in the Platinum Dunes remake of A Nightmare On Elm Street, Rooney Mara has become a hot property. So hot in fact that she’s having trouble scheduling her numerous projects. Mara has dropped out of Mike Newell‘s adaptation of the Charles Dickens joint Great Expectations. And though she’s gone, casting is still trucking ahead.

Ralph Fiennes has been approached to play the mysterious escaped convict Magwitch who helps Jeremy Irvine‘s orphan Pip. Shooting is slated to begin this fall in order to be released by 2012 to time with Charles Dickens’ bicentennial. Although, I don’t see what the rush is. The bicentennial fans could easily go out and rent one of the 573,000 adaptations already in existence. (via The Playlist)

Helena Bonham Carter And Jeremy Irvine In Talks For ‘Great Expectations’ – Guess Who Would Play Who

Joseph Gibson — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 16:28:47 +0000

Author Charles Dickens is apparently dining with the right Hollywood producers, since not only is his novel Great Expectations featuring prominently in the upcoming Mr. Pip, but it’s getting turned into a movie on its own as well. And the filmmakers (including director Mike Newell) are reportedly trying to get two ringers to play two of the main characters: Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) to play the lead character of Pip, and Helena Bonham Carter to play, who else, the creepy old lady Miss Havisham.

If we’re going to have another Great Expectations movie, and it’s been a while, so I guess we’re due for one, these casting choices seem pretty solid, especially Carter as Miss Havisham. So I hope these ideas go through – you might say I have great expectations for these two to be cast in the movie. You might say that. (Variety)

Mike Newell Might Direct ‘Great Expectations’, And There Will Be A Quiz

Joseph Gibson — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:20:57 +0000

Charles Dickens is one of the most beloved writers to ever put ink to page — you probably remember him from high school. Well, all those copies of one of his greatest novels Great Expectations are about to become obsolete, because Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco, Prince of Persia) is in talks to work on a “fresh and new” movie adaptation. The script was written by David Nicholls, who also said this about the project:

“[N]eedless to say David Lean’s classic version casts a long shadow, but I’m confident that we’ve come up with a new take on the wonderful material, something that feels fresh and new while still being largely faithful to the book.”

Maybe this exciting modern version of Great Expectations could be called Great Textpectations since kids love texting and portmanteaus. (via The Playlist)

Review: ‘Prince of Persia’

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
PG-13, 116m., 2010
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina
Directed by Mike Newell
Screenplay by Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard based upon the video game created by Jordan Mechner

Jake Gyllenhaal and the cast of the Royal Shakespeare company imprison themselves in a horrible sandstorm of a movie in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

Mega-Producer Jerry Bruckheimer brings us another one of his lackluster epic adventures, this time adapted from the popular 1989 video game of the same name, where a young street kid turned warrior named Dastan, (ah-hem “Destiny” get it?) played by Gyllenhaal, in taken into the world of kings, golden robes and military raids, where he is the chosen son of Persia, until his father is killed in a coup-de’ta by his brother Nazim (Ben Kingsley, at his evil-pointed beard worst) for a special sand sword that can turn back time, beheld by Princess Taima (Gemma Arterton).

From there the plot, or lack of one, in Prince of Persia makes you wish that the Sand of Time Sword can give you the two hours back. The chemistry between leads Gyllenhaal and Arterton disappears in the wind as the CGI sands and palaces become straining on the eyes.

Gyllenhaa,l laced with black eyeliner and straggled hair, join the league of actors, included Colin Farrell, Brad Pitt, Jared Leto, Eric Bana, who starred in disappointing sword and sandal epics. Gyllenhaal is too good for this kind of movie, where his awkwardly weighted shoulders and deer in the headlights expression cannot surpass the dull adventurous hero character of Dastan.

Alfred Molina’s mischievous grin and Arterton’s heaving tanned chest are the only things to clear the sand from your eyes and make this piece of dreck watchable. Molina playing Sheik Amar, a half Jack Sparrow/half desert bubbling conman, has much humor and character interest to spare. Producer Bruckheimer interjects his current tea partier slant into this character, and Amar spits and howls about the country’s high taxes, which no matter what your personal politics will make you have a good belly laugh or two.

As for Arterton’s heaving tanned chest: this is where her talent lies for this movie. With Quantum of Solace and this performance, the model turned actress shows to be good British eye candy for an audience of teenage males, but is yet to be determined as a strong Keira Knightley or Kate Winslet type of a actress.

Director Mike Newell of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Donnie Brasco fame, directs this movie as a director for hire job. The action and scenes of sparse dialogue have no consistency or energy. Newell seems to have let producer Bruckheimer take over the movie and give it his standard wham-bam-thank-you-mama style of shooting, editing and overblown special effects.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is one of the worst summer going experiences to hit the big screen since Terminator: Salvation.

Grade: D-