Diablo Cody Pays the Price of Fame, Too


Being the most famous stripper-turned-screenwriter in the world isn't always as pleasant as it may sound.
Diablo Cody, whose blog-to-riches fairy tale culminated in an Academy Award win for "Juno," has spent the past few months dominating a tiny little niche of Hollywood stardom: the celebrity writer. Not even wordsmith heavies Paul Haggis, Wes Anderson or Charlie Kaufman have stood in a spotlight so bright but then, none of them had the allure of a pole-dancing past, punkish attitude or surprising smash-hit, Oscar-worthy pregnancy comedy.
And in Cody's case, there's a downside: The very things that make her star unique are suddenly being panned and scrutinized. From tabloid newspapers to well-trafficked celeb- and media-sniping blogs, Cody's meteoric rise has made her something of a target.
The first-time scriptwriter from Lemont, Ill., demonstrated her no-nonsense, rebellious personality last week when she took to her MySpace blog to vent about the $1 million diamond-laced shoes designed for her by Stuart Weitzman to wear on Oscar's red carpet.
"They're using me to publicize their stupid shoes and NOBODY ASKED ME," wrote Cody, who ultimately wore gold flats. "I would never consent to a lame publicity stunt at a time when I already want to hide."
Cody, who has been unapologetic and candid about her colorful life, drew praise in the blogosphere for her remarks at the time. But in the days that followed, Weitzman told the celebrity Web site TMZ that Cody actually selected the shoes herself, and bloggers (and subsequent commenters) had their fun calling her out for what they saw as diva behavior.
The New York Post chose a picture of Cody for its after-Oscars cover that prominently featured her bikini-clad stripper tattoo. The headline: Who's Tat Girl! And on Tuesday, Photos of a scantily clad Cody surfaced on the Web site Egotastic nothing new, considering she's posted scantily clad photos of herself before.
With her Oscar firmly in hand, Diablo is laying low for now. She is "out of town," spending her time writing and won't be available for media interviews "for the foreseeable future," her representative, Craig Bankey, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, the Web site Something Awful posted three pages of a fake Cody screenplay called "Quotey" that mocked the hipster wordplay she showcased in "Juno," which had the oft-mocked line: "Honest to blog?"
And right before the Oscars, New York comedian Jackie Clarke released a video impersonation of Cody, complete with the writer's trademark black bob. In it, Clarke-as-Cody quipped: "Hey, did I ever tell you I used to be a stripper?"
"Everybody was ... rallying behind her before `Juno' hit $125 million at the box office, and now comes the inevitable backlash where they see her selling out to Hollywood," observed Tom O'Neil, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times' "The Envelope" Web site.
"She always seemed like a rebel, a social rebel who now seems to have cashed in and joined the club. And I think what we're witnessing is resentment to that," said O'Neil, who noted that Cody's raunchy backstory likely proved irresistible to Hollywood types who don't get a chance to show their bohemian, darker sides in public.
O'Neil called Cody's rise a "naughty Cinderella" story. Cody, whose real name is Brook Busey, caught the eye of manager Mason Novick after he found her sexy blog while surfing for porn online several years ago. She wrote a memoir about her year as a stripper in Minneapolis and whipped up "Juno" on a laptop at a Starbucks in a Target store.
Cody's new projects include the Steven Spielberg-produced "The United States of Tara" for Showtime, featuring Toni Collette as a mom with split personalities, and the horror film "Jennifer's Body," which counts "Juno" director Jason Reitman among the producers. She's also taking a turn as a backpage pop-culture columnist for the magazine Entertainment Weekly.
"She was wooed by Hollywood from the start to join them," O'Neil said. "And once she did, then they exalted her. She became the ultimate epitome of Hollywood's free spirit."
Movie critic Robert Wilonsky of the Dallas Observer thinks potshots against Cody are rooted in jealousy.
"She deserves what she has coming to her," Wilonsky said. "This is not accidental and it's not undeserved. Anyone who says otherwise is just a would-be screenwriter with a movie script sitting in their desk that nobody has any interest in."
New York magazine recently published a chart showing "Juno" as experiencing "backlash to the backlash": "Almost everyone we know hates it," the magazine said. "So much so that others are now hating on the haters."
One of those haters is the mag's film critic, David Edelstein, who has professed to be "almost alone" among critics, anyway "in disliking" the dramedy.
"A lot of people I know have problems with the film because they think it's not the way a 16-year-old girl talks," Wilonsky said. "That's probably right to some extent. It's not meant to be a documentary."
O'Neil said the trick for Cody now is to deal with the pressure to match the success of "Juno."
"She's got to deliver," he said. "She's got to prove that all of this adulation is not just about her, but was really about her work."
The self-deprecating, yet self-promoting It Screenwriter seems as awed by her good fortune as her fans and detractors.
"I've always been a writer, I've always been a storyteller, but I never thought about screenwriting," Cody said after her Oscar victory. "I grew up in the Midwest, you don't know any screenwriters. It didn't seem like a realistic career possibility."
And until now, neither did the fame and all of its pitfalls that came along with it.

Details on Juno movie

Ellen Page Q & A


At 20 years old Ellen Page is about half the age of most of her fellow best-actress Oscar nominees.
Are you scared Juno will be over-hyped before people see it?
It's happened to me - a movie's been buzzed and I've gone to see it. It's a film I'm proud of and people have responded to it in a really amazing way and I hope the same thing happens in the UK.
The screenwriting has received lots of praise - how much involvement did you have?
The film you see is the script I read two or three years ago. Diablo Cody is a genius, she's incredible and I adore her and I'm so happy for her and the nomination.
I mean it was a given, we all knew, when the film started doing well of course - not when we were making it. I'm just thrilled for her. I'm happy for everyone involved in the film. It's very humbling to be nominated with these women.
How have your friends reacted - do they treat you differently?
They are very supportive and that's lovely, but just as much as I support them in whatever they pursue. I'm still the same person, I don't think I'm special just because I'm an actor. I cherish the friendships I have.
You turn 21 three days after the ceremony, so you can celebrate with a drink.
I'm Canadian so 21 doesn't have the same significance as America. I'm not a huge drinker, but it will be nice to celebrate of course.
What gifts have you received so far?
I've got some Champagne and some chocolate, some fruit and some flowers.
What did you like about the character?
It was a teenage female lead that we'd never really seen before. It's funny, unique and witty and all of those things. But most importantly it's really genuine and honest and that's what people connect to. It's one of those films that is for everyone.
Was it nice to be offered something so refreshing?
It's one of the best screenplays I've ever read, it floored me and I desperately wanted to be a part of it. That was a huge gift in itself. And all of this that has happened has just been absurd.
Are teenagers sometimes misrepresented in Hollywood?
A lot of people get misrepresented in popular media, it's a drag. And that's not to say what we're used to seeing doesn't exist, but it's nice to broaden the horizons and allow for new ideas and new possibilities of what a young woman and what a young man can be. It's nice when a film like this does well - or any kind of film that decides to do something different.
The music in the film is very cool - how does it relate to your own tastes?
I'm also a huge Patti Smith fan, but I'm a little less arrogant than Juno I love all kinds of music, quite a variety. I'm a massive Moldy Peaches fan so I love the soundtrack.
What was it like on set working with people like Michael Cera and Jason Bateman?
It's one of the greatest film-making experiences I've ever had. Everyone I got to work with was so awesome.
I read you were really into sport is that still true?
I used to play soccer quite competitively and I used to play a lot of sports. Now I'm much more of a bum, but I like the outdoors, I love to hike.
Has Juno rubbed off on you personally?
I'm still me, I play a lot of different characters and a lot of darker ones so I hope they don't rub off on me too much.
Do you still get much free time?
It has been busy promoting the film because it's done so well and because of the awards season. As a young actor this is an absolutely remarkable opportunity. It's a huge gift.
Do you see yourself as role model for teenagers?
Brad has not sent me a card, no, which I'm furious about!
If they love Juno and identify with her then that that is absolutely awesome and I'm just going to continue to be myself and if that's something they like then wonderful, if not then whatever!
Have you heard from any other A-listers contacted you say?
I have received some letters and things yes.
From who?
I don't want to say.
How A-list are we talking - Brad Pitt?
Brad has not sent me a card, no, which I'm furious about! No, just joking. Just lovely actors that I respect and admire, it's extremely surreal and humbling. It's weird because you're just reading the letter and it's not until you get to the end - 'Oh this is from… oh wow!' So it's very nice.
Will you be really nervous yourself if you have to make a speech?
It doesn't even enter my mind, the women I'm nominated with are just incredible so it's not a place my mind's going to go to.
More Details on Juno

Frost / Nixon

Cast: Michael Sheen, Frank Langella, Rebecca Hall, Toby Jones, Matthew Macfadyen, Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon

Directed by: Ron Howard

Written by: Peter Morgan

Oscar-winning director Ron Howard brings to the screen writer Peter Morgan's (The Queen, The Last King of Scotland) electrifying battle between Richard Nixon, the disgraced president with a legacy to save, and David Frost, a jet-setting television personality with a name to make, in the untold story of the historic encounter that changed both: Frost/Nixon. Reprising their roles from Morgan's stageplay are Frank Langella, who won a Tony for his portrayal of Nixon, and Michael Sheen, who fully inhabited the part of Frost onstage in London and New York.

For three years after being forced from office, Nixon remained silent. But in summer 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-chief agreed to sit for one all-inclusive interview to confront the questions of his time in office and the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency. Nixon surprised everyone in selecting Frost as his televised confessor, intending to easily outfox the breezy British showman and secure a place in the hearts and minds of Americans.

Likewise, Frost's team harbored doubts about their boss' ability to hold his own. But as cameras rolled, a charged battle of wits resulted. Would Nixon evade questions of his role in one of the nation's greatest disgraces? Or would Frost confound critics and bravely demand accountability from the man who'd built a career out of stonewalling? Over the course of their encounter, each man would reveal his own insecurities, ego and reserves of dignity-ultimately setting aside posturing in a stunning display of unvarnished truth.

Frost/Nixon not only re-creates the on-air interview, but the weeks of around-the-world, behind-the-scenes maneuvering between the two men and their camps as negotiations were struck, deals were made and secrets revealed…all leading to the moment when they would sit facing one another in the court of public opinion.

Frost/Nixon is a collaboration between Working Title Films and Imagine Entertainment, with Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner joining Academy Award winners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard as producers. Joining Langella and Sheen as the colorful real-life personalities who provide the men counsel is a formidable roster of actors including Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, Toby Jones and Matthew Macfadyen.

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging is the first novel from the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series written by Louise Rennison in. First published in 2001 in the UK, the book follows the life of 14 year old Georgia Nicolson in her quest to the Sex God's (aka Robbie) heart.

Also, the film based around the novel is in production as of April, 2007.

Her dad's got the mentality of a Teletubby (only not so developed). Her cat, Angus, is trying to eat the poodle next door. And her best friend thinks she looks like an alien -- just because she accidentally shaved off her eyebrows. Ergghhhlack. Still, add a little boy-stalking, teacher-baiting, and full-frontal snogging with a Sex God, and Georgia's year just might turn out to be the most fabbitty fab fab ever!

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Jack Scanlon, David Thewlis, Cara Horgan, Rupert Friend

Directed by: Mark Herman

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a 2006 novel by John Boyne. This is the first Boyne book written for children.

Unlike the months of planning Boyne had for his other books, he said that he wrote the entire first draft of Boy in two and a half days, barely sleeping until he got to the end.

This book is a story about a nine year old boy struggling to understand what is happening around him in Auschwitz during World War II.

The main character, a nine year-old boy, is the son of a commander near Jewish concentration camps. He has a strong headed sister, Gretel (the Hopeless Case). They live in a five storey mansion, but are one day suddenly moved to a place called Out-with (Auschwitz). Bruno, the boy, outraged by his father's decision to move to Out-with, and desperate to go home, spends his time in his room with no friends. He is also annoyed by the fact that they live in a three storey house instead of their old five-storey mansion, and with such a small space, there isn't any room for exploration (apparently a hobby of Bruno's) to be done. He also misses sliding down the banister in their old house.

In Bruno's bedroom, he spots a fence with people in striped pyjamas behind it from his window. These are the Jews, and they are in a concentration camp. One day his parents come to an agreement that both Bruno and Gretel (his sister) need a tutor for their education so they hire Herr Liszt. To Bruno, Herr Liszt is the most boring teacher one could ever have - because he teaches science (such as geography and history), instead of the arts, which Bruno prefers. So, in boredom and confusion he wonders what is going on in the Out-with and why people are always dressed in striped pyjamas there.

One afternoon he goes exploring. What he finds is a boy, a Jewish boy called Shmuel, a name Bruno has never heard of before but apparently is quite common among Shmuel's own people. He soon becomes Bruno's friend and Bruno goes to see him every afternoon and they talk. Bruno is told by his sister that the people in the striped pyjamas on the other side of the fence are Jews and that he and his family are "the opposite". Shortly after this, Bruno gets a bad case of lice and has to have his head shaved. This makes him look a lot more like his friend Shmuel and he finds himself thinking that it's as if "they weren't all that different, really."

The story ends with Bruno about to leave Out-with and return to his previous home with his mother and sister. As a final adventure, he agrees to dress in a set of striped pyjamas and climb under a loose wire in the fence to help Shmuel find his father who has gone missing in the camp. They do not accomplish this task, and just as it starts to rain and Bruno decides he would like to go home, the people in the area of the camp which the boys are in must go on a 'march'. Neither boy knows where this march will lead. However, they are crowded into an airtight house, where chaos insues.

The book ends with the effects of Bruno's disappearance on his family, and his Father discovering his clothes outside of the fence, while inferring what happened to his son.

A Miramax film adaptation of the novel shot in Budapest between April and June 2007. It stars David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga, Sheila Hancock and Rupert Friend.

Margot at the Wedding

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack Black, Flora Cross, John Turturro

Margot at the Wedding is an upcoming film written and directed by Noah Baumbach. It is the follow-up to his critically acclaimed, Academy Award nominated film The Squid and the Whale (2005).

The film has been described as an intimate, character-driven, domestic comedy-drama. It stars Nicole Kidman and Baumbach's real-life wife Jennifer Jason Leigh as sisters named Margot and Pauline, and also features Jack Black, John Turturro and Ciarán Hinds. Kidman's character, Margot, is a successful but neurotic writer who brings her 11-year-old son (played by newcomer Zane Pais) to spend a weekend visiting her free-spirited sister Pauline (Leigh) on the eve of her wedding to Black's character. Margot disapproves of Pauline's choice of fiancé, which causes tension between the two sisters.

Baumbach has mentioned that the film is influenced by the style of French writer-director Eric Rohmer, who is known for his character-driven, relationship-based comic dramas like Ma nuit chez Maud, Le Genou de Claire, Pauline à la plage and Le Rayon vert. Many of Rohmer's films also deal with strained family relationships and awkward courtships, and often involve summer vacations. The script's working title was Nicole at the Beach, but it was changed when Nicole Kidman signed on to avoid confusion.

Margot at the Wedding was shot from April-June 2006 in various New York locations including Hampton Bays, East Quogue, Long Island and City Island, Bronx. It is heavily tipped to premiere at this year's Toronto Film Festival, which takes place between 6-15 September 2007, and is currently scheduled for US release by Paramount Vantage on October 19, 2007.

George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead


Studio: Dimension Films

Starring: George Buza, Joshua Close, Joe Dinicol, Amy Ciupak Lalonde, Megan Park, Philip Riccio, Martin Roach, Tatiana Maslany, Tino Monte, Michelle Morgan

Directed by: George A. Romero

Screenplay by: George A. Romero

Release Date: February 15th, 2008

MPAA Rating: R for strong horror violence and gore, and pervasive language.

Tagline: Shoot the dead.

A group of young film students run into real-life zombies while filming a horror movie of their own.

Fiction turns into reality for a group of film students who set out to shoot a low-budget horror flick in the woods of Pennsylvania. When the dead come to life before their eyes, director Jason Creed decides to capture these startling events with his camera, even as members of his cast and crew become prey to the increasing army of walking corpses that surround them.

Mainstream media coverage of this plague is manipulated and unreliable, so the only way to get the real story out to the public is by posting raw footage on the Internet. As the group make their way back home in an old Winnebago, they are met with death at every turn, and the realization sets in that the only remaining audience for Jason's film may be the same undead subjects he is risking his life to document.

A Soundtrack of the Streets: The Music


A Soundtrack of the Streets: The Music

There would be no dance at all for the characters of STEP UP 2 THE STREETS if it weren’t for the driving music and irresistible beats that inspire them. Coming on the heels of the gold-certified soundtrack for the original “Step Up,” the filmmakers turned again to music supervisor Buck Damon to bring together an equally compelling, yet completely fresh, collection of music tracks. Damon tapped into some of today’s hottest up-and-coming artists in hip-hop, rap and R&B to forge a soundtrack with the same kind of street energy as the film.

“In the first film, you have hip-hop meeting classical dance, but in this film, the story is about dancers wanting to get back to the streets, so that inspired us to go for a real legitimate hip-hop sound,” says Damon. “We really stripped things back, and there’s a lot less orchestration and a lot more singles that are now climbing the charts.”

Damon worked in sync with director Jon Chu, as well as Mitchell Leib, President of Music and Soundtracks for Walt Disney Pictures, and Atlantic Records, who lent the project their roster of young stars, whom Damon notes were “very appealing.”

Heading up the soundtrack artists is female rapper, singer, songwriter and producer Missy Elliott, whose six platinum-selling albums have established her as one of the leading artists of a generation. “One of my personal favorite songs in the film is Missy Elliott’s ‘Ching-a-Ling’—it’s an amazing track and it just fits the film like a glove,” Damon muses.

Damon also recruited Miami-based star Flo Rida and the Grammy®-nominated Southern soulster T-Pain for their song “Low,” which sparked some of Jamal Sims’ most inspired choreography and recently became a No. 1 hit single. He was also excited to bring in Grammy®-nominated Atlanta rapper Yung Joc whose indelible song “Girl You Know” is currently riding up the charts.

Other artists featured on the soundtrack include Spanish pop star Enrique Iglesias; contemporary R&B singer/songwriter Trey Songz; pop/soul girl-group Cherish; Ft. Meyersbased underground hip-hop artist Plies; the Grammy®-nominated Senegalese musical star Akon; the 20-year-old twin R&B stars Brit & Alex; as well as Cassie, the R&B singer who stars in the film as Sophie. Adding more diversity, Irish teen Laura Isibor and the sweet-voiced soul sensation Kevin Michael also add songs heard in the film. “I’m really eclectic, so even though the film has a true hip-hop sound, there’s also an emphasis on lots of different, great melodies—and all those melodic choruses give it a real cinematic feeling,” sums up Damon.

One of Damon’s biggest challenges arose in “swapping out” some of the songs that the dancers had performed to on the set for new songs chosen by the filmmakers in post-production. “It’s definitely something you couldn’t have done before computers,” he says. “It seems like it would be impossible, but once you get the hang of how to match the beats, it’s amazing how you can often make the dance work even better to a new song.”

Also appearing on the STEP UP 2 THE STREETS soundtrack are the winners of the film’s special Sing on the Soundtrack Contest—part of a groundbreaking, interactive Internet campaign for the film which gave “Step Up” fans the chance to participate in the new film by singing on the soundtrack, dancing in a music video or appearing in the film. “It was great fun to give someone a chance to make their own musical hopes come true,” says Damon.

For the filmmakers, the contest was another great way to get back to where the heart of the film lies: out on the streets where new discoveries and new dreams are constantly being made.

Step Up 2 The Streets Briana Evigan, Robert Hoffman, Will Kemp, Cassie Ventura, Adam G. Sevani, Telisha Shaw


Studio: Touchstone Pictures

Starring: Briana Evigan, Robert Hoffman, Will Kemp, Adam G. Sevani, Telisha Shaw, Cassie Ventura

Directed by: Jon Chu

Screenplay by: Karen Barna, Toni Ann Johnson

Release Date: February 14th, 2008

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for brief violence, language, some suggestive material.

Choreography and Design Set the Tone

From the beginning, director Jon M. Chu wanted STEP UP 2 THE STREETS to have its own distinct look and feel—one that draws from the explosive creativity and raw emotion of authentic street-dance styles. Chu knew that the film’s entire design concept would have to revolve around strong, original choreography, so he worked closely with a trio of renowned legends in the hip-hop world, who together were able to weave an astonishing array of different dance forms into the film’s gritty tapestry.

Serving as the film’s supervising choreographer is Jamal Sims, who worked with Anne Fletcher on the first “Step Up” as Channing Tatum’s choreographer and has also worked with producer Adam Shankman on such films as “Hairspray.” Among the scenes where Sims’ creative touch can be felt is the joyous and sensuous hip-hop salsa fusion that takes place at Missy’s house.

Sims was joined by Nadine “Hi Hat” Ruffin, known for breaking new ground as hip-hop’s leading female choreographer and whose tough, inventive and empowering moves for women, as well as her work on the popular videos of hit recording artist Missy Elliot, have brought something fresh and real to the genre. Hi Hat worked with the champion 410 crew, choreographing their numbers as they rise to dominance, weaving break-dance pops and locks into the mix and even using trampolines to take their moves to a higher level.

Completing the threesome is Dave Scott, a native of Compton who danced his way into a career in theater, film and television and came to the fore with the dynamic moves of “Stomp the Yard.” Scott choreographed the MSA crew’s numbers, taking them from funky misfits unsure of their style to dazzling hip-hop stars in their own right.

Sims credits the film’s cast with bringing the work of all three choreographers to life with so much zeal. “They were all so gung ho and ready to try anything,” he notes. “They’re all the real deal and they just want to dance, which made the process both a lot of fun and very true to the story.”

Hi Hat also gives respect to director Jon M. Chu. “He always knew exactly what he wanted and had every dance planned out in his head, which is a rare thing for a director,” she observes. Scott admits there was even a little healthy competitiveness between the three—which was encouraged by Chu who kept the choreographers from seeing each other’s work until the last possible moment to enhance the suspense between The 410 and MSA crews. “The dance world is always very competitive; everybody wants to battle,” Scott explains. “Everyone wants to be better than everyone else, but if you’re good, you also give props where props are due. Hi Hat is an incredible choreographer and having her work with the rival crew was very motivating. I think we brought out the best in each other.”

Meanwhile, to highlight the kinetic feeling of the entire film, Chu also worked closely with his design team, including cinematographer Max Malkin, production designer Devorah Herbert and costume designer Luca Mosca, each of whom Chu brought on board because of their innate understanding of rhythm and style.

Malkin, in particular, had his work cut out for him, shooting on-the-fly in Baltimore warehouses and trainyards and trying to add a subtle layer of fairy-tale sheen to this often grey, grimy urban background.

“Max Malkin brought a real visual energy to the movie,” says executive producer David Nicksay. “He allowed it to feel rough around the edges and kind of restless, really capturing the emotional power we were trying to bring out of the characters and the storyline.”

“I was open to being more visually progressive than you usually see in dance films,” adds Malkin. “We didn’t want to create music videos that are separate from the story but to weave the narrative into the dance and vice versa. Jon gave me a lot of freedom to do that and was open to a lot of new and different ideas that I think make the film far more visually expressive.”

Devorah Herbert took Chu’s vision of a gritty, urban fairy tale set in Baltimore and ran with it. “We really focused on the contrast between the world of the MSA students and the dancers from the streets,” explains Herbert. “At MSA, we used a muted color palette with cool, even tones, while on the streets everything is super-textured and grimy, but with lots of splashes of color and graffiti representing the kids’ creative expression.”

The final touches were added by Italian-born costume designer Luca Mosca, who says he “fell in love at first sight with this project, with the energy, the story and the creative opportunities it gave me.” Mosca worked closely with Chu to give each of the dance crews, as well the individual dancers, their own strong, clear personalities. “The 410s I always saw as moving graffiti, dancing against these dark, earthy backgrounds in saturated primary colors,” he explains. “The MSA crew are more muted with a softer palette, but in the finale in the rain they’re in maroons and mustard yellows and burnt oranges. They come together with a beautiful harmony in a very unpredictable way.”

In the end, the look of the film became every bit as electrifying as the dancing itself. Sums up Jennifer Gigbot: “Jon always knew exactly what he wanted this movie to look like, right down to the graffiti on the walls. He wanted it to be real and raw and give an authentic feeling for Baltimore—but underlying all of that, he always saw this as a fairy tale. And it has that magic to it.”

Jumper Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Rachel Bilson, Jamie Bell, Max Thieriot, Shawn Roberts, AnnaSophia Robb


Studio: 20th Century Fox

Starring: Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Rachel Bilson, Jamie Bell, Shawn Roberts, Anna Sophia Robb, Max Thieriot

Directed by: Doug Liman

Screenplay by: David S. Goyer, Simon Kinberg, Jim Uhls

Release Date: February 14th, 2008

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some language and brief sexuality.

The thrilling and imaginative tale of JUMPER is, in the words of co-writer and producer Simon Kinberg, "the origin story of a hero -- an accidental, very reluctant hero who is just on the cusp of beginning to wonder what would happen if he used his extraordinary power to help others in jeopardy." Director Doug Liman, Kinberg and producer Lucas Foster spent the last several years developing not just the JUMPER screenplay but the rich mythology and back-story of an epic adventure about a young man trying to forge a real life in spite of his fantastic, temptation-filled power to teleport anywhere on earth in an instant.

For Doug Liman, whose deft passion for character-driven, unpredictably high-wire action has come to the fore in two of the most popular and acclaimed thrillers of recent times --

Mr. and Mrs. Smith and The Bourne Identity -- the potential for JUMPER was irresistible. It was a chance to put his own hyper-modern twist on a now venerable genre of storytelling.

"Most of the stories we see about superheroes were actually written a century ago," Liman points out. "But what I loved about JUMPER is that it felt very fresh and modern. Ultimately, it became the biggest creative challenge of my career."

The evolution of the story began with a duo of young-adult, sci-fi novels by Steven Gould --Jumper and Reflex-- which introduced the character of David Rice, a troubled young man whose seemingly inexplicable teleportation abilities help him to start a dream-like new life far from the pain of his past. After debuting to high praise from both critics and readers, Gould's series quickly developed a strong following; but it was clear the story had the potential to go even further. When executive producers Vince Gerardis and Ralph M. Vicinanza encountered the books they knew immediately they had the material for a great cinematic adventure.

That's when David Goyer, the sought-after screenwriter who cut his teeth working with classic superheroes and villains in such action-thrillers as Blade and Batman Begins, entered the picture. He not only adapted Gould's tale for the screen but enlarged it, bringing in the new character of Griffin, another mysterious Jumper who has been on the run since he was a child, and forging a larger scope for the story. Along the way, Goyer shattered the usual conventions of superpower tales, delving into how his characters struggle mightily with the very real temptations of their consummately escapist powers. He unfolded the story's non-stop thrills against an unlikely story of a young man learning the consequences of total freedom.

"What I loved about David Goyer's original draft is that it was about somebody who gets superpowers and the first thing he does with them is go out and rob a bank. I really liked the honesty of that," says Doug Liman. "It was something I hadn't seen before and as a character-driven director it really interested me. I was also drawn to how imaginative and outrageous this canvas would allow me to be. Having done two action films in a row, I was attracted to the challenge of working with these profoundly human, complex characters."

The Spiderwick Chronicles Visual Effects Experts


With so many unusual and complicated non-human characters in "The Spiderwick Chronicles," the film's producers knew the job of creating them might be best split between two visual effects wizards. And what better wizards than Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and Tippett Studio?

"We wanted to engage them both, but we wanted to figure out who was best suited at doing what," explains co-producer Tom Peitzman. Tippett Studio, best known for its work on films such as "Jurassic Park" and "Robocop," handled creation of the army of creepy goblins, led by Redcap, the slovenly hobgoblin Hogsqueal, and the menacing mole troll. ILM produced the characters of Thimbletack (both as a brownie and a boggart), Mulgarath (in his many forms), the sprites and sylphs. Between them, the two studios created some 600 visual effects shots.

Academy Award® winner Phil Tippett served as the film's creature supervisor. "My job was to wrangle all of the characters across both facilities, to make sure that all of the characters would maintain some kind of continuity within this world," he explains.

The designs for the characters began with Tony DiTerlizzi's drawings, as featured in his original Field Guide in the Spiderwick Chronicles books. "It was a really nice canvass for (Tippett Studio founder) Phil Tippett, (ILM visual effects supervisor) Pablo Helman and our production designer, Jim Bissell, to start with," notes Peitzman.

The team's main goal was to bring DiTerlizzi's two-dimensional characters into three-dimensional reality. "It's a matter of taking the drawings, which are the product of Arthur Spiderwick's observations in the field, and creating what he actually physically saw, to biologize the sketches and turn them into actual creatures," says Tippett.

"The intent of the original book was a marriage of nature and art -- part plant and part human," explains Helman, giving the characters, particularly those who disguise themselves in the Unseen World, an organic base from which to come to life. "For others," says Tippett, "studies of animals, such as rodents and birds, were made, anthropomorphisms of which gave some of the creatures their base" (such as the rodent-like Thimbletack).

Characters were developed in 3D using both traditional clay "maquettes," small detailed models commonly used in the visual effects industry, and computer programs. ILM employed its Rapid Prototyping system to not only build low resolution computer-generated (CG) models of its characters for study, but to apply some basic movement, sometimes putting a staffer in a "motion capture" suit to begin assigning some early moves. "The director can actually see the character moving and can begin making decisions about physical proportions and movement early on," explains ILM visual effects supervisor Tim Alexander.

During the actual animation, it was imperative for the animators to make use of reference video shot during the recording sessions by the actors, to try to include as much of their characterizations in the creatures' personalities as possible. "If you don't," says Helman, "something doesn't quite look right, because the soul of the character is missing."

"That kind of thing is extremely helpful," explains Alexander. "We can add in twitches and other body language that we saw when he was making the recording, and we can put all that expression into the character. The Martin Short reference was extremely helpful for Thimbletack's lip sync, for example."

Seeing Nick Nolte's performance of Mulgarath was crucial for the animators to be able to inject the "cursed being" facet of his character. "ILM animation supervisor Tim Harrington and I were both at his recording sessions, and what Nick did was just an amazing tour de force," Tippett recalls. "He was up there for 2 ½ hours doing Mulgarath, and I can tell you he was dripping sweat; he just put everything into it. would have paid money to have seen this in a theater."

The voiceless characters of the Unseen World -- the sprites and the sylph -- had their own challenges to give them their "Fantasia"-like magic. For the beautiful flower sprites, notes Alexander, "we just played straight off their environments. Since they come up out of a flower bed, we just matched the flowers around them, so that they would completely blend in and suddenly appear." The ethereal flow to their movement was based on that of a jellyfish, he says, even using cloth simulations to create the gentle drift of the petals.

While the millions of dandelion-like sylph required the application of "particle generation" software by ILM (onto which the tiny sylph were applied to each particle), Tippett Studio animation supervisor Todd Labonte and his crew went to great lengths to give each member of the goblin mob a distinct character, whenever possible. "It's a real trick to get a crowd to feel like a crowd of individuals," says Tippet. "Todd and his team excelled at making each individual in the crowd a specific entity, but while still maintaining the feeling for a crowd."

On set during the six month shoot -- both at the outdoor location and on the stages of Mel's Cite du Cinema studio in Montreal -- Tippett, Helman and special effects supervisor Michael Lantieri made sure the magic continued in front of the lens, in preparation for the later addition of the computer-generated visual effects. "This is where you really sell visual effects shots to the audience, by providing as much physical interaction as you can on set, to enhance the CG work that comes later," explains Tom Peitzman.

While actors are quite used to looking each other in the eye while performing scenes, it is a whole other matter to interact with characters that don't yet exist (and won't for many months to come). "People do a lot of subtle things with their face as they're talking to another person," Tippett explains. "There's a great deal of searching that's going on -- the person's eyes will move around the face, they might lean in or pull back as they're trying to assess the validity of the spirit of the other person."

To assist the actors, the visual effects crews had a variety of visual aids constructed and placed -- and sometimes moved -- in the location where, say, Thimbletack or Hogsqueal might be sitting having a discussion with a human character. "We built maquettes, complete with wardrobe, or even just a piece of paper with an `X' on it. It's what really glues the scene together when you assemble the two shots. If someone's just staring off at a fixed eyeline, the scenes can go very flat," says Tippett.

The maquettes are also filmed for reference by the animators. The artists can see how the light on the set interacts with the maquettes, enabling them to recreate the same lighting in the computer of their computer-generated character, allowing them to seamlessly place the character into the shot with the live actors.

Much of the mayhem that befalls the Spiderwick Estate happened under the supervision of special effects supervisor Michael Lantieri. "I did all the mechanical effects on set -- which entailed any interaction between the actors and the CGI characters. All of it was driven by the specifics of the characters and their performances, even the digital characters," Lantieri explains.

That mandated constant communication among Tippett, Helman and himself. "The philosophy was to go as far as we could with live action in a practical way because it ultimately sells the CGI. We figure out the mass, weight and movement of the characters and have anything that results because of it happen in the realm of actual physics."

Each day, Tippett, Helman and Lantieri would view simplified "previsualization" (or "previz," at it is known) animation depicting how the day's scene would unfold, showing where the creatures would be in space and how they would interact and react. "How big would their footsteps be, how deep would they sink in the grass, would they grab with the right hand or the left? For instance, a goblin would never do the same sort of thing as an ogre. Mulgarath is quite large and would interact with things that are much higher and would move much heavier objects. So the trick was to figure out the characters first, then decide what they would come in contact with -- in this case, a huge assault on the house. Then we'd figure out how to execute the large scale movement and how that would interact with the character and computer graphics later on," Lantieri explains.

As much as possible, Lantieri tried to wreak as much of the goblins' and Mulgarath's havoc on the house on-camera. "We did as much damage to the house practically as we could -so when a wall explodes, we did that for real and put the characters in later. Everything they touch, push, shove or break was actually done on set."

The Spiderwick Chronicles Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn


Studio: Paramount Pictures

Starring: Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, Mary-Louise Parker, Joan Plowright, David Strathairn, Nick Nolte

Directed by: Mark Waters

Screenplay by: John Sayles

Release Date: February 15th, 2008

MPAA Rating: PG for scary creature action and violence, peril and some thematic elements.

Director Mark Waters was drawn to the uniquely imaginative elements of Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black's The Spiderwick Chronicles, particularly since they are played out in the context of a time and place audiences could relate to -- today's America. "I've always loved movies in the fantasy genre, and when I read these books I saw the opportunity to do something that hadn't been done before -- a movie that dealt with adventure, fantasy and incredibly interesting creatures, but wasn't set in a far-off land with British wizards or Gothic orphans, or just some kind of strange, unrecognizable lead actors."

Instead, Waters says, the film features kid-characters audiences can easily identify with. "They just seem to have been plunked down in an extremely extraordinary situation when the Grace family moves into this family estate they inherited and are slowly introduced to those creatures through a Field Guide. Here was an opportunity to make a movie that everyone could relate to immediately, and relate to just the fact that these kind of crazy, strange creatures could be around us at any time."

One of the reasons the children in the story are identifiable, he says, is that they struggle with problems shared by many families today. "But the enchanted and often perilous journey they embark upon allows them to discover and draw on strengths they never knew they had -- as individuals, and, more importantly, as a family."

Jared Grace, played by Freddie Highmore, is at a crisis point in his life, and it is through this extraordinary adventure that he comes to terms with his feelings about his parents' separation, Waters explains. "Jared has been deeply affected by the divorce; he's very angry and rebellious and doesn't hide his bitterness, especially in his interaction with his mother and siblings. But in the end, this incredible journey, which ends up with him basically saving his family, results in him healing himself, too."

Definitely, Maybe Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Derek Luke, Abigail Breslin, Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz


Studio: Universal Pictures

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Derek Luke, Abigail Breslin, Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks

Directed by: Adam Brooks

Screenplay by: Adam Brooks

Release Date: February 14th, 2008

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, including some frank dialogue language and smoking.

Definitely, Maybe was born a few years ago, when writer/director Adam Brooks decided to pen a love story that spanned more than one decade. “There used to be a tradition of movies that took place over a long period of time,” the filmmaker says, “and what I loved about them was how much you would get invested in the characters because of the long span of the story.” The romantic comedy Brooks envisioned, along with its unusual twist of a male protagonist driving the story, was given a complicated setting: the world of politics.

“I like the tradition of romantic comedies that have a bigger backdrop than just the love story that's going on-a movie like Broadcast News, for example,” adds Brooks. “I always wanted to do a story about a young man coming to the big city with all his hopes and dreams.”

In the screenplay, Brooks' main character, Will Hayes, is a soon-to-be-divorced dad who relives his early years as an aspiring politician, while he tries to explain to his 10-year-old daughter how he came to marry the woman he is now divorcing: her mother.

As a screenwriter, Brooks had previously collaborated with the U.K.-based Working Title Films on several projects, including Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Wimbledon and French Kiss. His long-time collaborators approached him with the idea of not only writing, but also directing his next romantic comedy. They agreed it would-in no way-be generic or formulaic. “They're my movie home,” Brooks describes. “I write with total confidence and trust when I'm working with them. And I know that when you're developing a movie with Working Title, there's a very good chance that it's going to get made.”

Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Albert Finney


Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride (2005)

Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Albert Finney, Richard E. Grant

Directed by: Mike Johnson, Tim Burton

Produced by: Tim Burton, Laurie Parker

Release Date: September 16, 2005 Nationwide.

Running Time: 75 minutes

Box Office: $52,741,000 (US total)

MPAA Rating: PG for some scary images and action, and brief mild language.

Distributor: Warner Brothers

Set in a 19th century European village, this stop-motion, animated feature follows the story of Victor, a young man who is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride, while his real bride, Victoria, waits bereft in the land of the living.

Although life in the Land of the Dead proves to be a lot more colorful than his strict Victorian upbringing, Victor learns that there is nothing in this world, or the next, that can keep him away from his one true love.

Corpse Bride carries on in the dark, romantic tradition of Tim Burton's classic films Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Set in a 19th century European village, this stop-motion, animated feature follows the story of Victor (Johnny Depp), a young man who is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham-Carter), while his real bride, Victoria (Emily Watson), waits bereft in the land of the living. Though life in the Land of the Dead proves to be a lot more colorful than his strict Victorian upbringing, Victor learns that there is nothing in this world, or the next, that can keep him away from his one true love. It's a tale of optimism, romance and a very lively afterlife, told in classic Tim Burton style.

In a small, gloomily repressed Victorian town, two shy young people are set to be wed -- although they’ve never before met.

Crass, social-climbing canned fish tycoons Nell and William Van Dort (voiced by Tracey Ullman and Paul Whitehouse) have always dreamt of joining high society -- but while they’re not lacking in wealth, they’re sorely lacking in the requisite class.

Conversely, old-money aristocrats Maudeline and Finis Everglot (voiced by Joanna Lumley and Albert Finney), direct descendents of the Duke of Everglot -- as they will freely profess to anyone who will listen -- are full of class but drained of cash. Their money has long ago dried up, and all they have left of worth is their name and social standing…and, as it turns out, their daughter Victoria (voiced by Emily Watson). While they’ve never seen much worth in her, she may just be their ticket back up the social ladder, as it seems the Van Dorts have a bachelor son, Victor (voiced by Johnny Depp).

The Everglots are willing to hold their noses and grudgingly marry Victoria off to the son of the dreadful Van Dorts -- nouveau-riche is still riche, after all. The deal is made, and the two families are quickly in a tizzy, as everyone is quite excited about the impending nuptials…except for the bride and groom. But everybody knows that marriage isn’t about love anyway -- just ask Maudeline and Finis.

Victor and Victoria first set eyes on each other on the eve of their wedding, when the families gather for a proper introduction between the soon-to-be-newlyweds, to be immediately followed by a wedding rehearsal. While it’s difficult to say who is shyer, upon their first meeting it seems possible that against all odds, Victor and Victoria’s chance for true love may not have been lost. But at the rehearsal, Victor bungles his vows so badly -- even before he accidentally lights his future mother-in-law’s dress on fire -- that Pastor Galswells (voiced by Christopher Lee) sends him away until he can manage to learn his lines correctly.

Humiliated, he wanders off into the dark forest surrounding the village. Once he is alone, he is able to recite his vows perfectly, even going so far as to gently place the wedding ring on the root of a tree as a finishing touch. But it isn’t a root after all.

Terrifyingly, the strange and beautiful decaying corpse of a woman wearing the tattered remains of a wedding gown rises up from the ground, wearing Victoria’s ring on her bony finger. It seems that Victor has unwittingly betrothed himself to the Corpse Bride (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter).

Ever since she was mysteriously murdered on her wedding night, the Corpse Bride has waited, heartbroken, for her groom to come and claim her. While her heart may have stopped beating long ago, her search for true love, and a husband to share her eternal rest with, has never ended. Victor has mistakenly become that groom, and is dragged down beneath the earth to the Land of the Dead, a rowdy reversal of the staid life he has always known -- in the Land of the Dead, the pubs are always open and the corpses are more lively than anything you will find aboveground in the dull and somber Land of the Living.

Victor tries in vain to find his way back to Victoria, who is waiting bereft in the Land of the Living, somehow unable to convince anyone that a dead woman has dragged her fiancé off to the underworld. Instead of helping their daughter, the Everglots hastily arrange a second wedding, this time to the mysterious and sinister Barkis Bittern (voiced by Richard E. Grant), who just happens to be in the right place at the right time to take Victoria’s hand...

While the Corpse Bride is determined not to let him escape the bonds of their unholy matrimony, Victor must find a way to return from the Land of the Dead, and back into the arms of the love of his life.

The Earl of Rochester (Johnny Depp) and Elizabeth Barry (Samantha Morton) in The Libertine

Tagline: He didn't resist temptation. He pursued it.

'The Libertine' follows the adventures of John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester, in London of the 17th century. He has a passionate romance with a young actress, Elizabeth Barry, and he writes a scurrilous play which lampoons the monarch who commissioned it, Charles II, leading to the Earl's banishment and eventual downfall.

Johnny Depp stars in "The Libertine" as the scandalously decadent John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester. The film follows the Earl's adventures in London, from his passionate romance with a young actress, Elizabeth Barry (Samantha Morton), to the writing of a scurrilous play which blisteringly and bawdily lampoons the very monarch who commissioned it, Charles II (John Malkovich), leading to the Earl's banishment and eventual downfall.

Laurence Dunmore makes an assured directorial debut, creating a period atmosphere that combines the dark debauched underbelly of London with the allure and glamour of the Restoration court.
“The wildest and most fantastical odd man alive.” -- John Wilmot, the 2nd Earl of Rochester, in a description of himself.

The Earl of Rochester (Johnny Depp) and Elizabeth Barry (Samantha Morton) in The Libertine.

In every generation, there comes along a person so scandalous, so rebellious, so willing to break taboos that they topple the world’s ideas of what being a free spirit truly means. In the 17th century that person was unequivocally John Wilmot, AKA the 2nd Earl of Rochester -- the wily and talented rogue who in the course of his short, wild life, become known all at once as a troublemaker, a genius and one of history’s most irrepressible believers in liberty.

Now, in Laurence Dunmore’s THE LIBERTINE, two-time Academy Award nominee Johnny Depp and an award-winning cast and crew bring forth the sexy, irreverent and ultimately moving adventures of a man who broke all the rules at a time when the rules of modern society were first being written. With a gritty and raw realism, the film brings to life the swinging times of 70s London -- 1670’s London, that is -- with striking parallels to the attitudes and dilemmas of our own modern times.

Set against the extraordinary backdrop of The Restoration -- a pivotal age of enlightenment when rapid-fire new developments in science, religion and the arts, as well as a growing new sensual freedom, created the modern world as we know it -- THE LIBERTINE follows the meteoric rise and fall of the Earl. As the story begins, he is drawing acclaim with his daring writing and raising eyebrows as a gifted rogue with a lascivious lifestyle. A close confidante of the high-living King Charles II (two-time Academy Award nominee John Malkovich), the Earl delights in lampooning England’s royals with his subversive wit and scandalizing London society with his sexual escapades -- all the while reveling in getting away with anything he can.

But when the Earl falls in love with the brilliant and fiercely independent Elizabeth Barry (two-time Academy Award nominee Samantha Morton), the theatrical protégé he plans to turn into England’s biggest star, their affair and a subsequent betrayal will be the start of the Earl’s plunge from the heights of social celebrity to the depths of ruin, as he seeks his final redemption.

Johnny Depp The Libertine (2006)

Starring: Johnny Depp, Samantha Morton, John Malkovich, Francesca Annis, Rosamund Pike, Tom Hollander, Richard Coyle, Trudi Jacksons

Directed by: Laurence Dunmore

Produced by: Chase Bailey, Ralph Kamp, Louise Goodsill

Release Date: November 25th, 2005 (LA/NY); January 13th, 2006 (expands)

Running Time: 130 minutes

MPAA Rating: R for strong sexuality including dialogue, violence and language.

Box Office: $4,829,497 (US total)

Distributor: Miramax Films, The Weinstein Company

Story of the Earl of Rochester, friend and of Charles II and a Restoration era pornographer and poet. He was an anti-monarchist Royalist and an atheist who converted to Christianity. The story is about how the Earl's cynicism is thrown for a loop when he falls in love with a struggling young actress.

Johnny Depp stars in "The Libertine" as the scandalously decadent John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester. The film follows the Earl's adventures in London, from his passionate romance with a young actress, Elizabeth Barry (Samantha Morton), to the writing of a scurrilous play which blisteringly and bawdily lampoons the very monarch who commissioned it, Charles II (John Malkovich), leading to the Earl's banishment and eventual downfall.

Laurence Dunmore makes an assured directorial debut, creating a period atmosphere that combines the dark debauched underbelly of London with the allure and glamour of the Restoration court.

“The wildest and most fantastical odd man alive.”

-- John Wilmot, the 2nd Earl of Rochester, in a description of himself

In every generation, there comes along a person so scandalous, so rebellious, so willing to break taboos that they topple the world’s ideas of what being a free spirit truly means. In the 17th century that person was unequivocally John Wilmot, AKA the 2nd Earl of Rochester -- the wily and talented rogue who in the course of his short, wild life, become known all at once as a troublemaker, a genius and one of history’s most irrepressible believers in liberty.

Now, in Laurence Dunmore’s The Libertine, two-time Academy Award nominee Johnny Depp and an award-winning cast and crew bring forth the sexy, irreverent and ultimately moving adventures of a man who broke all the rules at a time when the rules of modern society were first being written. With a gritty and raw realism, the film brings to life the swinging times of 70s London -- 1670’s London, that is -- with striking parallels to the attitudes and dilemmas of our own modern times.

Set against the extraordinary backdrop of The Restoration -- a pivotal age of enlightenment when rapid-fire new developments in science, religion and the arts, as well as a growing new sensual freedom, created the modern world as we know it -- THE LIBERTINE follows the meteoric rise and fall of the Earl. As the story begins, he is drawing acclaim with his daring writing and raising eyebrows as a gifted rogue with a lascivious lifestyle. A close confidante of the high-living King Charles II (two-time Academy Award nominee John Malkovich), the Earl delights in lampooning England’s royals with his subversive wit and scandalizing London society with his sexual escapades -- all the while reveling in getting away with anything he can.

But when the Earl falls in love with the brilliant and fiercely independent Elizabeth Barry (two-time Academy Award nominee Samantha Morton), the theatrical protégé he plans to turn into England’s biggest star, their affair and a subsequent betrayal will be the start of the Earl’s plunge from the heights of social celebrity to the depths of ruin, as he seeks his final redemption.