Screen Junkies » savages

Our 9 Most Anticipated Films Of 2012

Penn Collins — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:23:16 +0000

2012 already has a slate of films that have fans from many different genres salivating. For no other reason than everyone else seems to be looking back on the past year’s films every December, let’s look forward and get even more excited about the best that 2012 has to offer us.

Your list may vary.

Haywire- January 20

Steven Soderbergh has never really blown my hair back the way other directors do, but he’s consistently “solid.” And while it’s a testament to the genre that I am looking for an action film that clears that admittedly low bar, I am. Gina Carano brings the muscle while Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, and Michael Douglas bring the acting in this story about a CIA agent gone rogue.

The Hunger Games – March 23

After a lengthy stretch of “tribute” casting announcements, The Hunger Games was able to capture my attention. I just recently read the book, and though it didn’t fall in my sweet spot because I’m not a 13 year-old girl, I am eager to see what kind of world the producers create for the dystopian future. The book is sparse with many details, so there’s a ton of room for the designers and director to flex their creative muscle. Plus, Jennifer Lawrence has put a spell on me since Winter’s Bone.

The Dictator – May 11

For me, this one starts and ends with the stars. Perhaps the script is great, perhaps it isn’t, but Sacha Baron Cohen and Anna Faris can find a way to transcend bad writing and play comedy like almost no one else can. The logline is “The heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.” Interesting. Until you see an image of Sacha Baron Cohen’s dictator. Then it very quickly becomes mesmerizing.

Joel David Moore To Play Marijuana Nerd In Oliver Stone’s ‘Savages’

Wookie Johnson — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:47:23 +0000

8 photosBlake Lively

Joel David Moore has an interesting look. He sort of resembles a computer whiz with links to the marijuana trade. Which is great for him because Oliver Stone just cast him to play a computer whiz with links to the marijuana trade in Savages.

The plot revolves around two drug dealers played by Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch who share the banging rights of Blake Lively. When she is kidnapped by the Mexican cartel (headed by Salma Hayek naturally), they are forced to work for her freedom. John Travolta, Emile Hirsch, Benicio Del Toro, Uma Thurman, and Demian Bichir also star.

Filming begins later this year so hopefully Moore will be able to squeeze in a few more nerd roles before then. (THR)

Save The Date For ‘Obilivion’, ‘Savages’, ‘Despicable Me 2′, And ‘Haywire’

Penn Collins — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 22:21:37 +0000

4 photosGina Carano Just Beating The Hell Out Of People In 'Haywire'

Universal has set three release dates for some of its prestige and tentpole projects. The good news is..they have release dates. The bad news is that the nearest date is September 28, 2012 for Oliver Stone‘s Savages. Despicable Me 2 will be dropping July 3, 2013, the way our forefathers would have wanted it, and Oblivion (or is it Horizons?) will hit theaters on July 19, 2013.

Fortunately, Relativity aren’t quite so witholding with their films, so we have been granted a January 20, 2012 release date for Steven Soderbergh‘s Haywire, starring MMA star Gina Carano.

There really aren’t enough hours in the day, ya know?

Emile Hirsch To Not Break Type At All As A Stoner In ‘Savages’

Penn Collins — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:36:27 +0000

Emile Hirsch? As an oceanside stoner? Well, since he’s played one in every other movie, it’s CONCEIVABLE that he could play one in Oliver Stone‘s marijuana romp. The announcement of Hirsch being cast in the prestigious pic doesn’t reveal what role will go his way, but I’m going to guess it involves longish hair, scruff, and a board sport of some type.

The Hirsch news comes on the heels of the more revelatory announcement yesterday that Pulp Fiction co-stars John Travolta and Uma Thurman will co-star in the film, and Blake Lively will play the desired role of O, the girlfriend of two small-time drug dealers who gets kidnapped by a cartel.

The O role was up for grabs after Jennifer Lawrence, who was the frontrunner for the part, bowed out to star in The Hunger Games franchise. Time will tell if that move pays off for her. (Spoiler alert: It probably will, but she should have done this film. It sounds awesomer.) (Variety)

Aaron Johnson To Kick Tolstoy And Oliver Stone’s Asses?

Geoffrey Golden — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 01:48:38 +0000

Remember the kid from Kickass? No, not the little girl, though she was pretty holy-shit awesome. I’m actually referring to Kickass himself, Aaron Johnson. He’s been getting a lot of offers since he posted that page on MySpace about how he’ll come to the set of your movie and star in it. Here are the takers:

Oliver Stone wants Johnson to play one of the two leads in the drama Savages, about two pot growers whose sexy communal girlfriend (nice?) gets kidnapped by Mexican mobsters. The drug cartel wants the dudes to work for them, or the girl goes… up in smoke. “Muahaha.” Stone is directing, Shane Salerno (Armageddon) and novel author Don Winslow wrote the script, and they’re looking to shoot this June.

Meanwhile, Keira Knightley beckons Johnson, just like she does for me in my dreams. Johnson’s been offered the lead opposite Knightley in Anna Karenina, writer Tom Stoppard‘s adaptation of the Tolstoy classic novel I might have read in a literature class at some point. The film will be directed by Joe Wright (Atonement). One of the best modern writers adapting a novel considered to be one of the best of all time? Hmm… pass. (Deadline)

Oliver Stone Wants Jennifer Lawrence To Get ‘Savage’, And So Do We

Penn Collins — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 23:51:39 +0000

The adaptation of Savages seems to be recruiting a level of talent commensurate with its A-list source material. Deadline reports that Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) is in talks to star in the film about two pot-dealing buddies that share a girlfriend in southern California. Oliver Stone is attached to direct the adaptation of the best-selling book written by Dan Winslow. Lawrence has been an extremely hot commodity since her turn as a burdened teen on a quest to save her family’s house in Winter’s Bone.

The project is being developed privately and repped by CAA, so expect a lot of action as soon as the producers lower the flag on this one. Fanning the flames of this project are rumors of involvement from Leonardo DiCaprio, James Franco (duh), and Benicio del Toro. While the pieces are a long way from being in place here, all signs point to an amazing project in the works. But don’t take my word for it. A synopsis from Deadline:

Somehow, sharing a bed with O created no discord in the relationship between brainy botanist Ben and Chon, a hardcore ex-Navy SEAL who returned from Afghanistan with top-quality pot and a total lack of remorse for killing to protect his pals. They live a quiet lucrative existence in Laguna Beach, growing and distributing their primo pot. Stone has been meeting with top actors to play Ben and Chon, a list that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Aaron Johnson, Tom Hardy, James Franco and Tron Legacy‘s Garrett Hedlund. He’s also courting Benicio Del Toro for the role of an Mexican drug cartel enforcer sent to muscle Ben and Chon out of business. When they resist, O gets kidnapped and the ransom is every ill-gotten cent they’ve made. They hatch a complex plan to get her back and then disappear.

Uh, yeah. I’ll pay whatever you want me to to see that.