Screen Junkies » Nicolas Winding Refn

Denzel Washington And Nicolas Winding Refn Now Going To Do ‘The Equalizer’

Wookie Johnson — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 21:59:43 +0000

When there was news that Paul Haggis and Russell Crowe were teaming up for a big-screen adaptation of The Equalizer, I was all like “Wait, what?” Now rumor has it that Denzel Washington is stepping in which makes total sense.

The real story however is that Nicolas Winding Refn is ready to cash in on his Drive accolades and helm this movie about Denzel driving around and shooting people. It’s just early talks at this point so no word on whether or not Denzel’s jacket will be really cool or not. (Coming Soon)

Quentin Tarantino Isn’t A Fan Of ‘Drive’

Joseph Gibson — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:16:55 +0000

Quentin Tarantino is well-known for his love of ridiculously violent cool movies with borderline mentally-ill protagonists who run amok to unmistakable pop soundtracks. So I guess it makes complete sense that Drive was given a “Nice Try Award” in his list of the best and worst movies of 2011. In case you’re still interested in Quentin’s opinion, here’s the whole shebang:

“Quentin Tarantino’s official Top 11 of 2011

1. Midnight In Paris
2. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
3. Moneyball
4. The Skin I Live In
5. X-Men: First Class
6. Young Adult
7. Attack The Block
8. Red State
9. Warrior
10. The Artist / Our Idiot Brother (tie)
11. The Three Musketeers

Others considered in no particular order

50/50
Beginners
Hugo
The Iron Lady
Carnage
Green Hornet
Green Lantern
Captain America
The Descendants
My Week With Marilyn
Fast Five
The Tree Of Life
The Hangover Part II
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
The Beaver
Contagion
The Sitter
War Horse

Nice Try Award

Drive
Hanna
Drive Angry
Real Steel

Best Director

Pedro Almodovar
Bennett Miller
Woody Allen
Jason Reitman
Michel Hazanavicius

Best Original Screenplay

Midnight In Paris
Young Adult
Red State
Attack The Block
Our Idiot Brother
Beginners

Best Adapted Screenplay

Moneyball
The Skin I live In
Carnage
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
Hugo
X-Men: First Class

Worst Films

Sucker Punch
Potiche (Trophy Wife)
Miral
Insidious
Rampart
Straw Dogs
Paranormal Activity 3
Meek’s Cutoff”

Wait, The Three Musketeers!? Does this mean I actually have to go watch that movie now?? Cool that he repped for Green Lantern, since I thought that movie was better than most people said it was. Anyway, I’m sure most writers will just say Tarantino was jealous of Drive or something like that, and why go against the tide? Quentin Tarantino was jealous of Drive. Or something like that. (The Playlist)

Guy Who Threw Hot Dog At Tiger Woods Blames ‘Drive’

Wookie Johnson — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:58:17 +0000

Drive is making people do crazy things. First, a woman in Michigan attempted to sue the film’s distributor because she didn’t like the car chases. Now, the guy who hucked a hot dog at Tiger Woods reveals that the voices in Drive made him do it. When questioned about his strange offense, Brandon Kelly said that the film made him feel like he needed to do something “courageous and epic.” And since there were no children to save from nearby house fires, Kelly opted to throw a hot dog at Tiger Woods as he was about to putt at the Frys.com Open. The hot dog fell short and did not hit the golfer.

Something needs to be done here and I feel like it should fall on the shoulders of Drive star Ryan Gosling. He needs to address his crazed fans and let them know that hot dog tossing will not abide. There are rules in society and when those rules are not followed, it all falls down. Seriously. Somebody could end up with mustard on their shirt. (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

Woman Sues ‘Drive’ For Not Being Sh*tty, Hating Jews

Wookie Johnson — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:31:55 +0000

A Michigan moviegoer has filed a lawsuit against Drive’s distributer, FilmDistrict, after finding the Ryan Gosling movie wasn’t similar enough to The Fast and the Furious. If that wasn’t ridiculous enough, she also alleges the film hates Jewish people, for good measure.

Sarah Deming has filed a lawsuit against FilmDistrict claiming that the distributors, “promoted the film Drive as very similar to the Fast and Furious, or similar, series of movies.”

“Drive bore very little similarity to a chase, or race action film… having very little driving in the motion picture,” the suit continues. “Drive was a motion picture that substantially contained extreme gratuitous defamatory dehumanizing racism directed against members of the Jewish faith, and thereby promoted criminal violence against members of the Jewish faith.

I love that the Antisemitism (which isn’t really in the movie) was an afterthought. The cars not going VROOM loud enough or driving on top of trains was what really ticked her off. God help me, if she wins this lawsuit, I’m suing every movie for not being enough like The Fast and the Furious. Films exempt from my litigious wrath include The Fast and the Furious and its sequels, as well as Torque. (Click on Detroit)

Carey Mulligan Is Going To Have A Lot Of Sex In ‘I Walk With The Dead’

Wookie Johnson — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:00:35 +0000

Nicolas Winding Refn has proven himself an okay dude to work with as far as the cast of Drive is concerned. Both Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks are planning to work with the director again, and now Refn has announced that Drive‘s female lead, Carey Mulligan, will star in his long in the works thriller, I Walk With the Dead.

“I’ve always wanted to make a movie with lots of sex,” says Refn of the project. “So I wrote this story called, I Walk With the Dead and it takes place in Miami and it’s just going to have a lot of sex in it. I have two films that are getting made with French investors and one is Only God Forgives and one is I Walk With the Dead.”

Of course, this is just one of many projects on his plate and no timeline has been provided yet. With Drive earning awesome reviews, Refn’s career is thriving which I’m sure is a relief. Considering his ambition was to “make a movie with lots of sex,” things really could have gone differently for him. (The Playlist)

‘Drive’ Trailer Has Fast Cars And Albert Brooks

Joseph Gibson — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:27:27 +0000

See A Romantic New Clip From 'Drive'

Of all the stuff getting promoted at Comic-Con, the thing I’m personally most excited about is Nicolas Winding Refn‘s Drive. Starring a cool Ryan Gosling, a beautiful Carey Mulligan, an evil Albert Brooks, and more adjective-matched stars, it looks to be an arthouse action movie to give Tarantino a run for his money.

This trailer, fortunately, has done nothing to make my level of anticipation decrease. There are some cool automotive stunts, and glimpses at the aforementioned stars, along with Christina Hendricks, Bryan Cranston, and Ron Perlman. I can’t wait to drive (my Segway) to my local theater to watch Drive!

Casting Round-Up: J. Lo, Wizards, Henchmen, And Gosling

Penn Collins — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:40:57 +0000

What do all of the above have in common? Absolutely nothing. That’s why it’s a round-up and not a single story. Here we go…

J. Lo has signed on to a film that will make The Wedding Planner look like Fight Club. She will be appearing in the film adaptation of What to Expect When You’re Expecting, playing “a woman who adopts a baby from abroad with her husband after difficulty conceiving.” She will join Cameron Diaz in this project which will likely serve as the death rattle of their being viewed as sex objects.

Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn, ignoring suggestions and demands to “get a room already,” will instead be working on their fourth film together. (The others were Drive, an untitled upcoming rom-com, and Logan’s Run.) Gosling will be stepping into the lead role previously occupied by Luke Evans in Only God Forgives, an Asian crime drama. (Variety)

Snow White and the Huntsman keeps its casting machine going by picking up both Lily Cole and Sam Spruell. Cole will play a character only identified as “Greta,” while Spruell will play a henchman sent to dispatch both Snow White and her huntsman friend. (Variety)

Ben Barnes, previously best-known as Prince Caspian in the Narnia films, will be again diving into the world of the fantastic in The Seventh Son. Barnes will star as Tom, after talks with Sam Clafin fell apart. (Variety)

See A Romantic New Clip From ‘Drive’

Joseph Gibson — Tue, 17 May 2011 20:32:40 +0000

Many people (including me) expected Nicolas Winding Refn‘s Drive to be hard-charging action movie in the vein of The French Connection or The Getaway. But apparently it’s a little more complicated than that, as this scene from the movie proves. It shows Ryan Gosling subtly putting the moves on Carey Mulligan, who appears to be trying to look as much like Michelle Williams as possible. This is probably because of Gosling’s insistence on only working with actresses who look like or are Michelle Williams.

You also get to see Bryan Cranston in action as Gosling’s mechanic boss (note: don’t get excited, that doesn’t say “mechanical boss”), which is nice, especially if you’re a fan of”Breaking Bad.” Not much badassery in this clip, but I still have hope for the overall badassity of the movie as a whole. (Vulture)

Don’t Look At These New ‘Drive’ Photos If You’re Driving

Joseph Gibson — Mon, 09 May 2011 03:04:12 +0000

The producers of the Nicolas Winding Refn‘s Drive are rolling out a fair amount of promotional material in advance of its upcoming Cannes premiere. There was the footage from a few days ago, and now a Cannes press kit that contains these photos (and more). None of which you should even be reading about if you are currently behind the wheel of an automobile of any kind. Driving is a privilege, not a right.

Now, for all of you not driving, you’ll notice that these photos have our first look at Albert Brooks, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, and Bryan Cranston in the movie, in addition to star Ryan Gosling. So if you previously were unaware of what they looked like, you’re welcome. (The Playlist)

See A Clip From ‘Drive’ Before Speeding Away Dramatically

Joseph Gibson — Thu, 05 May 2011 17:35:01 +0000

The car chase movie is experiencing something of a resurgence, with Fast Five actually getting reviews that resemble being in the same general area as “good.” But we’re still a ways off from the 60s and 70s, when true artists like John Frankenheimer, Walter Hill, William Friedkin, and Sam Peckinpah made car chase movies that were hard-boiled, stylish, and CGI-free.

Well, judging from this clip from Driven, which you can watch here, Nicolas Winding Refn is doing his part to bring back the cool car chase movie. And it has reasons to get excited in front of the camera, too: Drive stars Ryan Gosling, along with Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks and Ron Perlman. So, even if this clip was terrible, I’d still be there. It isn’t terrible though.

Ryan Gosling Is Ready To Be An Action Star

Wookie Johnson — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 21:25:08 +0000

Having had enough with the craft services available on independent film sets, Ryan Gosling would like to move onto projects with better food. Or an espresso maker at the very least.

Gosling has signed on to eat unlimited omelettes and star in the Warner Bros. remake of Logan’s Run for Nicolas Winding Refn. Set in the future, the film follows a sensitive yet muscular man as he outruns a mandatory death sentence on the eve of his 30th birthday.

This will be Gosling’s second time working with Nicolas Winding Refn, having just completed Drive together and his first foray into big screen action. Be warned, Jake Gyllenhaal. Ryan Gosling is trying to become you. (Deadline)