Universal Pictures

Slideshow: 36-Image Gallery For ‘Public Enemies’ With Johnny Depp, Christian Bale

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:38:45 -0600

CHICAGO – Just a day after the red-carpet Chicago premiere of the Chicago-filmed “Public Enemies,” Universal Pictures has released to us 36 high-resolution production stills from the highly anticipated film. “Public Enemies” stars Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Channing Tatum, Leelee Sobieski, Billy Crudup, Emilie de Ravin, Giovanni Ribisi and Stephen Dorff from director Michael Mann (“Miami Vice,” “Collateral,” “Ali,” “Heat” and “The Last of the Mohicans”).

You can either click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photo credits for this slideshow go to Peter Mountain and Universal Studios.

The “Public Enemies” synopsis can be found below (source):

In the action-thriller “Public Enemies,” acclaimed filmmaker Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard in the incredible and true story of legendary Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger (Depp).

Dillinger is the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the No. 1 target of J. Edgar Hoover’s fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero to much of the downtrodden public. No one could stop Dillinger. No jail could hold him.

His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone from his girlfriend, Billie Frechette (Cotillard), to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression.

But while the adventures of Dillinger’s gang (later including the sociopathic Baby Face Nelson [Stephen Graham]) thrilled many, Hoover (Billy Crudup) hit on the idea of exploiting the outlaw’s capture as a way to elevate the FBI his bureau of investigation into the national police force that became the FBI. He made Dillinger America’s first public enemy No. 1 and sent in Purvis (the dashing “Clark Gable of the FBI”).

However, Dillinger and his gang outwitted and outgunned Purvis’ men in wild chases and shootouts. Only after importing a crew of Western ex-lawmen (newly baptized as agents) who were real gunfighters and orchestrating epic betrayals from the infamous “Lady in Red” to the Chicago crime boss Frank Nitti were Purvis and the FBI able to close in on Dillinger.

See our 12-image “Public Enemies” slideshow at the Biograph in Chicago.
Video: Watch the “Public Enemies” trailer now!

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Martin Scorsese to Direct Frank Sinatra Biopic

BrianTT — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:44:51 -0600

CHICAGO – One of the best directors that ever lived, Martin Scorsese, is about to tackle the life story of one of the best singers in the history of his form, Frank Sinatra, according to today’s Variety.

The trade announced today that Universal Pictures has acquired the rights to the screenplay for “Sinatra” from Mandalay Pictures and hired the prolific director of “The Departed,” “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” and many more to helm and produce the film. Scorsese has been trying to get a biopic about Ol’ Blue Eyes off the ground for years and Universal and Mandalay’s Peter Guber and Cathy Schulman have apparently been developing this particular project for two years on their own as they tried to secure the life and music rights for one of the most beloved music icons of the twentieth century.

Keith Richards (left) and director Martin Scorsese backstage at the Beacon Theater while filming the Rolling Stones concert film “Shine a Light”.
Photo credit: Jacob Cohl, RST Concerts

Schulman tells Variety, “He was such a beloved man. The responsibility we are taking on to tell his story — that would cause anyone to be very careful about who they grant these rights to. Everyone knows that Marty Scorsese is a final-cut director. So there had to be a lot of trust that he would tell this story in a way that didn’t destroy (Sinatra’s) memory.”

The life of Frank Sinatra has been told several times in book form and on the small screen in an acclaimed mini-series but never as a theatrical feature. No one has been cast yet in the title role but Variety is already looking at Scorsese’s latest muse, Leonardo DiCaprio, a logical fit considering the talented actor has starred in four Marty films already - “Gangs of New York,” “The Aviator,” “The Departed,” and the upcoming “Shutter Island”.

The writer of “Field of Dreams,” Phil Alden Robinson, is hard at work on the screenplay, one that Schulman claims will touch on all phases of Sinatra’s life and be “an unconventional biopic”. Sinatra was an unconventional man, someone whose life stretched from music to cinema and through the lives of President Kennedy and possible mob connections. The idea of Martin Scorsese tackling a life this dramatically rich makes “Sinatra” one of the more interesting projects in any state of production.

Martin Scorsese’s next film, “Shutter Island,” based on the book by Dennis Lehane, will be in theaters this fall. Previous credits of this Oscar-winning legend include “The Departed,” “The Aviator,” “Gangs of New York,” “Casino,” “The Age of Innocence,” “Cape Fear,” “Goodfellas,” “The Last Temptation of Christ,” “The Color of Money,” “The King of Comedy,” “Raging Bull,” “Taxi Driver,” and “Mean Streets,” among many others. He also has a music background, making the highly acclaimed concert films “Shine a Light” and “The Last Waltz”.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: ‘The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’ an Awful Movie, Great Blu-Ray

BrianTT — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 08:56:02 -0700

CHICAGO – The divide between the quality of a film itself and the Blu-Ray presentation it has been given has arguably never been wider than with Universal’s “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”. The special features are as comprehensive as any released this over-crowded holiday season and the transfer is one of Universal’s best of the year but the film itself is a complete disaster, one of the most excruciating theatrical releases of 2008.

It’s impossible to recommend purchase, renting, or even thinking too hard about a movie as horrendously conceived and executed as “Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” but it’s just as hard to claim that fans of the film or the franchise won’t be completely satisfied with the quality of the package that Universal has put together.

As for the movie itself, “Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” is insufferable, boring, and embarrassing to everyone involved (that’s assuming that the man who directed “xXx”, “Daylight”, and “Stealth” can still feel embarrassment).

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is available on DVD/Blu-Ray on December 16, 2008.

The title may sound random and unimaginative but it actually refers to an ancient ruler named Emperor Han (Jet Li), a dictator who sought immortality but found himself and his army forever cast in stone after a witch named Zi Yuan (Michelle Yeoh) but an end to his quest for undying power.

Flash forward to 1946 England, where the heroes of the first two films, adventurers Rick and Evelyn O’Connell (Brendan Fraser and Maria Bello, replacing Rachel Weisz) are struggling with the tedium of domesticity. The retired heroes are approached for one last mission - taking the Eye of Shangri-La to its new home in a Shanghai museum.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is available on DVD/Blu-Ray on December 16, 2008.

Meanwhile, their young son Alex (Luke Ford) happens to have found the tomb of the aforementioned Dragon Emperor in China and Evelyn’s brother Jonathan (John Hannah) finds his way into the action for a little comic relief. Han comes back to life, as does his army, and the entire O’Connell clan works together to defeat the latest undead incarnation.

The problem with “Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” is simple - there’s literally nothing to care about. The story seems to have been slapped together like a MadLibs entry and the cast, even the usually lovely Maria Bello, is shockingly grating. Newcomer Ford is particularly abrasive and even the typically game Fraser seems bored by the third time around. For more on the movie itself, check out HollywoodChicago.com publisher Adam Fendelman’s 2-star review.

You would never know that anything is wrong with “Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” by watching the extensive special features on Universal’s Blu-Ray release. It’s unreasonable to expect an honest assessment of the film in the behind-the-scenes featurette, but the love-fest for “Dragon Emperor” feels even more hyperbolic than usual. In just a few short minutes of “The Making of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”, Rob Cohen compares Bello to Katherine Hepburn, talks about how shooting in China gives the film “authority”, compares the scope to a giant archaeological dig, and even claims that the movie Gods have blessed them with magic as evidenced by the good weather during the shoot.

Ignoring Cohen’s lack of perspective, there is a shocking amount of detail and interesting behind-the-scenes information in the special features that accompany “Dragon Emperor”. Nearly every aspect of the process was documented from pre-production effects preparation to actually lighting Jet Li’s hands on fire. And it can all be viewed using Universal’s excellent U-Control, a studio-exclusive feature that allows interactivity during the film itself.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is available on DVD/Blu-Ray on December 16, 2008.

“Dragon Emperor” includes the most extensive and detailed U-Control yet produced by the studio. While the movie plays, viewers have the option of watching Rob Cohen’s commentary picture-in-picture (it can also just be listened to as an audio track), playing an interactive in-movie trivia game called “The Dragon Emperor’s Challenge”, exploring the connection between the three “Mummy” movies through film clips and photos in “Know Your Mummy”, examining the action from up to four different angles in “Scene Explorer”, or watching picture-in-picture behind-the-scenes featurettes related to the on-screen action at the time.

There are other special features including “From City to Desert”, “Legacy of Terra Cotta”, deleted and extended scenes, “Preparing for Battle with Brendan Fraser and Jet Li”, “Jet Li: Crafting the Emperor Mummy”, and “Creating New and Supernatural Worlds” that are impressive but it’s the way information and trivia about the film is incorporated in U-Control that makes the release so remarkable. With Blu-Ray, audiences no longer have to bounce back and forth between menu screens and the movie, allowing special features to truly enhance a film instead of just adding to it.

Interactivity is also a key to Universal’s approach to Blu-Ray and “Dragon Emperor” includes both BD-Live capabilities and “My Scenes”, which allows viewers the chance to clip, save, and share their favorite moments from the movie.

Not only are the special features as inclusive and well-designed as anything we’ve seen recently, but the video transfer for “Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” is a beauty. Universal has mastered the film in 1080P HD with a 2.40:1 widescreen ratio and the vivid mix of color perfectly suits the film. The DTS-HD Master Audio track in 5.1 matches the video in quality.

“Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” looks and sounds perfect on Blu-Ray and includes a series of special features that are as comprehensive and well-organized as anything we’ve seen this year. It’s yet another example of a horrible movie with a nearly flawless Blu-Ray treatment.

‘The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’ is released by Universal Home Video on DVD/Blu-Ray and stars Brendan Fraser, Maria Bello, Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, Luke Ford, and John Hannah. It was written by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and directed by Rob Cohen. It will be released on December 16th, 2008.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

2009 Universal Pictures Preview: ‘Duplicity,’ ‘The Wolfman,’ ‘State of Play,’ ‘Drag Me to Hell,’ ‘Land of the Lost,’ More

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:48:02 -0700

CHICAGO – This new HollywoodChicago.com slideshow features production stills for films in the recently released 2009 Universal Pictures film slate.

These 2009 Universal Pictures films include “Duplicity,” “The Wolfman,” “State of Play,” “Wild Child,” “Drag Me to Hell,” “Land of the Lost,” “Fast and Furious,” “Funny People” and “Cirque du Freak”. The release dates, cast lists and filmmaker information for these Universal films can be found below.

“Duplicity”
Release date: March 20, 2009
Genre: Caper
Cast: Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti
Written and directed by: Tony Gilroy
Produced by: Jennifer Fox, Kerry Orent and Laura Bickford
Executive producer: Ryan Kavanaugh

“The Wolfman”
Release date: April 3, 2009
Genre: Action/Horror
Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving and Art Malik
Directed by: Joe Johnston
Screenplay by: Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self
Based on the motion picture screenplay by: Curt Siodmak
Produced by: Scott Stuber, Benicio Del Toro, Rick Yorn and Sean Daniel
Executive producers: Bill Carraro, Andrew Z. Davis

“State of Play”
Release date: April 17, 2009
Genre: Political thriller
Cast: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels and Helen Mirren
Directed by: Kevin Macdonald
Screenplay by: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Tony Gilroy and Billy Ray
Based on the BBC TV series created by: Paul Abbott
Producers: Andrew Hauptman, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner
Executive producers: Paul Abbott, E. Bennett Walsh, Liza Chasin and Debra Hayward
Note: No images are currently available for this film

“Wild Child”
Release date: May 8, 2009
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Emma Roberts, Natasha Richardson, Shirley Henderson, Alex Pettyfer and Aidan Quinn
Directed by: Nick Moore
Written by: Lucy Dahl
Produced by: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Diana Phillips
Executive producers: Liza Chasin, Debra Hayward

“Drag Me to Hell”
Release date: May 29, 2009
Genre: Horror
Cast: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Jessica Lucas, David Paymer and Dileep Rao
Directed by: Sam Raimi
Written by: Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi
Produced by: Rob Tapert and Grant Curtis
Executive producers: Nathan Kahane and Joseph Drake

“Land of the Lost”
Release date: June 5, 2009
Genre: Comedy/Adventure
Cast: Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Anna Friel and Jorma Taccone
Directed by: Brad Silberling
Screenplay by: Chris Henchy and Dennis McNicholas
Based on the series “Land of the Lost” by: Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft
Producers: Jimmy Miller, Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft
Executive producers: Julie Wixson-Darmody, Daniel Lupi, Adam McKay and Brad Silberling

“Fast and Furious”
Release date: June 12, 2009
Genre: Action/Thriller
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz and Laz Alonso
Directed by: Justin Lin
Written by: Chris Morgan
Based on characters created by: Gary Scott Thompson
Producers: Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel and Michael Fottrell
Executive producer: Amanda Lewis

“Funny People”
Release date: July 31, 2009
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, RZA, Aubrey Plaza, Maude Apatow and Iris Apatow
Written and directed by: Judd Apatow
Produced by: Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel and Clayton Townsend
Executive producers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Adam Sandler and Jack Giarraputo

“Cirque du Freak”
Release date: TBD
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Cast: John C. Reilly, Ken Watanabe, Chris Massoglia, Josh Hutcherson, Patrick Fugit, Ray Stevenson, Michael Cerveris, Frankie Faison, Jane Krakowski, Orlando Jones, Kristen Schaal and Salma Hayek
Directed by: Paul Weitz
Writers: Brian Helgeland and Paul Weitz
Based on the book series by: Darren Shan
Producers: Lauren Shuler Donner, Paul Weitz and Ewan Leslie
Executive producers: Dan Kolsrud, Andrew Miano, Kerry Kohansky, Sarah Radyclyffe and Courtney Pledger

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. Unless otherwise noted, all image credits for this 2009 Universal Pictures preview go to Universal Pictures.

duplicity: “Duplicity” with Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti.
thewolfman: “The Wolfman” with Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving and Art Malik.
wildchild: “Wild Child” with Emma Roberts, Natasha Richardson, Shirley Henderson, Alex Pettyfer and Aidan Quinn.
dragmetohell: “Drag Me to Hell” with Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Jessica Lucas, David Paymer and Dileep Rao.
landofthelost: “Land of the Lost” with Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Anna Friel and Jorma Taccone.
fastandfurious: “Fast and Furious” with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz and Laz Alonso.
funnypeople: “Funny People” with Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, RZA, Aubrey Plaza, Maude Apatow and Iris Apatow.
cirquedufreak: “Cirque du Freak” with John C. Reilly, Ken Watanabe, Chris Massoglia, Josh Hutcherson, Patrick Fugit, Ray Stevenson, Michael Cerveris, Frankie Faison, Jane Krakowski, Orlando Jones, Kristen Schaal and Salma Hayek. Image credit: Empire

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Wanted’ With Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy Concocts Curving Bullet in Gluttonously Entertaining Blockbuster

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:01:00 -0600

CHICAGO – With curving, clinking and kissing bullets, “Wanted” indeed does Chicago proud. And Angelina Jolie sells it. And Morgan Freeman is ominous. And in his body of work, James McAvoy – the star of this orgasmic summer blockbuster – becomes a man.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Many Chicagoans have been keenly aware of the film’s local filming throughout downtown Chicago and Broadview, Ill.

After also focusing its filming lens throughout the Czech Republic and Hungary, Chicago’s prominence reigns surprisingly dominant and central to the film’s assassin-based plot of one “apathetic nobody’s transformation into an unparalleled enforcer of justice”.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “Wanted” in our reviews section.

View our huge, high-resolution “Wanted” image gallery.

Listen to our episode-two podcast on “Wanted” and more.

Read more news on “Wanted”.

James McAvoy is the man of the hour, and in a short 110 minutes, is handed a Hollywood renovation from an initially fear-laden, listless boy to a surgically precise killer who’d give Matt Damon’s character (Jason Bourne) in “The Bourne Ultimatum” a fight for his life.

“Wanted” features Chicago front and center not only in its aesthetics but also central to its high-adrenaline pacing and action sequences. The Universal Pictures film needed exactly this big-city, fast-action feel to haunt McAvoy with the necessary vibrations in his quest to decide who he really is.

While “Wanted” is chock full of innovation – especially in its fight sequences and “The Matrix”-inspired special effects on ludicrously entertaining Hollywood steroids – the film at times still falls victim to the traditional stereotypes of what you’d expect in an assassin action-thriller with an ever-increasing death count.

“Wanted,” which was pushed back to a June 27, 2008 release date from an initial March 28, 2008 plan, won’t accrue the high marks and huge numbers it deserves because of its story alone. This is an outright action fest of sensory enchantment, carnal killing and orgasmic delight.

“Wanted,” which opened everywhere on June 27, 2008, stars James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Terence Stamp, Common and David O’Hara.

Continuing reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “Wanted” review.

Fox (Angelina Jolie) shoots from the driver’s side of her Dodge Viper in the action-thriller that tells the tale of one apathetic nobody’s transformation into an unparalleled enforcer of justice in “Wanted”.
Photo credit: Universal Pictures

James McAvoy as Wesley in the action-thriller that tells the tale of one apathetic nobody’s transformation into an unparalleled enforcer of justice in “Wanted”.
Photo credit: Jaap Buitendijk

Continuing reading for Adam Fendelman’s full “Wanted” review.

Universal Releases Two New High-Resolution Production Stills For ‘The Incredible Hulk’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 08:09:55 -0700

Universal Pictures on Thursday released two new high-resolution production stills for “The Incredible Hulk” as part of its 2008 preview.

The film, which is slated to open on June 13, 2008, stars Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth and William Hurt. The new photos are below. You can click on them for high-resolution versions.

Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

“The Incredible Hulk” kicks off an all-new, explosive and action-packed epic of one of the most popular superheroes of all time.

In this new beginning, scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) desperately hunts for a cure to the gamma radiation that poisoned his cells and unleashes the unbridled force of rage within him: The Hulk.

Living in the shadows – cut off from a life he knew and the woman he loves (Liv Tyler) – he struggles to avoid the obsessive pursuit of his nemesis (William Hurt) and the military machinery that seeks to capture him and brutally exploit his power.

As all three grapple with the secrets that led to The Hulk’s creation, they are confronted with a monstrous new adversary known as The Abomination (Tim Roth) whose destructive strength exceeds even The Hulk’s own.

One scientist must make an agonizing final choice: accept a peaceful life as Bruce Banner or find heroism in the creature he holds inside.

Universal Pictures Pushes Back ‘Wanted’ Release Date From Spring to Summer 2008

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:06:07 -0700

Universal Pictures announced on Wednesday it is pushing back the release date of the hotly anticipated film “Wanted,” which has filmed in Chicago, from the spring to the summer of 2008.

Angelina Jolie in “Wanted”.
Photo credit: Universal Pictures
The decision was made due to mounting competition on the weekend of its original selection. Initially slated to release on March 28, 2008, the film is now scheduled to open on June 27, 2008 to rival Pixar’s “Wall-E,” “What Happens in Vegas…” and Tom Cruise’s “Valkyrie”.

“After an early look at ‘Wanted,’ we are certain it fulfills its promise as a stunning, committed, thrilling and eye-popping vision that introduces a bold new narrative,” said Universal Pictures president of distribution Nikki Rocco in the Wednesday statement.

She added: “We believe it can stand shoulder to shoulder with the event titles of the summer and will give audiences a chance to discover a fresh [and] new alternative.”

David O’Hara in “Wanted”.
Photo credit: Universal Pictures
While Superhero Hype! calls the announcement a “surprise,” it’s certainly obvious to me that Universal feels it can better dominate that June weekend.

But will it? While the Superhero Hype! report says the March 28 weekend is “starting to get rather crowed,” that begs the question: crowded with what other films? The March weekend also features the likes of:

“21” (with Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth and Laurence Fishburne)
“My Brother is an Only Child” (an Italian film)
“Run, Fat Boy, Run” (directed by David Schwimmer)
“Stop-Loss” (with Ryan Phillippe)
“Superhero!” (with Leslie Nielsen, Sara Paxton and Brent Spiner from “Star Trek”)

James McAvoy in “Wanted”.
Photo credit: Universal Pictures
It’s fair to say even in the more “crowded” weekend that “Wanted” currently has the most brand recognition among those titles and also features among the most star-studded cast (with James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie and Common).

While its June weekend has less rivalry by number of films, those films are more widely known and serve as greater box-office threats. The March weekend offers more film competition by number of films but with less visibility. I question the merit of this switch.

“Wanted,” which is the first English-language film helmed by Russian director Timur Bekmambetov, is based upon Mark Millar’s explosive graphic novel series.