New cast members for Evil Dead remake

The Evil Dead, the upcoming update of Sam Raimi's seminal horror, is adding a couple of new names to the cast, with the group of cabin-goers soon to be complete.First up is Melrose Place actress Jessica Lucas, who will play the best friend of Jane Levy's character, a recovering drug addict looking to go cold turkey. Handily, she's nurse, which should come in helpful when the gang start ripping each other's throats out.Also in talks to join the cast is Elizabeth Blackmore, a relative newcomer who will play the fiancé of Shiloh Fernandez's character. She doesn't know the rest of the group so well, which in our book, makes her odds on to be the first to turn deadite.Traditionally, it's always a female character who's the first to become possessed, although don't rule out the final member of the group, Eric, played by Beginners star Lou Taylor Pucci.Co-scripted by Diablo Cody, Rodo Sayagues and director Fede Alvarez, with input from Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, The Evil Dead will open in the US on 12 April 2013, with a UK release date yet to be confirmed.

Human Centipede 3 Is Underway

First cast announced for Final SequenceTom Six always threatened a trilogy, and the maverick director has now been proved as good as his word. Human Centipede: Final Sequence is crawling its way to the studio floor, and has just announced its first cast members in Centipede veterans Dieter Laser (mad surgeon Dr Joseph Heiter) and Laurence R. Harvey (sandpaper sadsack Martin). Six himself will also play a supporting role.In case you missed all the drama last summer, Final Sequence has been made possible in no small part by the attention given to Full Sequence. Some sources - not least the filmmakers - are still claiming that it was banned by the BBFC. Not quite the case: it was denied a certifcate, which isn't quite the same thing. But whatever the fine detail, the upshot was media interest and immediate notoriety far beyond the dreams of any executive planning an advertising campaign. Not bad for a franchise whose centrail coneit is stitching people together ass-to-mouth. Full Sequence was finally granted an 18 certificate in October, after 32 cuts were agreed.Six, talking to Empire at Big Screen, called the hooplah "crazy", claimed that everyone was missing the film's black humour, and said he was disappointed at the reaction from the country that gave the world Monty Python. But he was happy to play up to the controversy, telling us that, when he got around to it, Final Sequence would "upset a lot of people" and "make Full Sequence look like a Disney film".He also laid out his plan for the trilogy, to whit: "In the end the three films can be actually attached to each other, like the centipede: one big film of four and a half hours. That's my goal. Each film is very different from the previous one. 2 is totally different to 1, and 3 will be totally different from both the others. I'm not telling you how. You have to find out. In space? I won't say!" We're going to go out on a limb and suggest that Final Sequence won't be in space. But we will suggest that Laser and Harvey will very likely be playing versions of themselves, rather than their characters from the previous films, and that Final Sequence will have some sort of meta relationship with its predecessors, in the same way that Full Sequence involved a character who was obesessed with the first film. Don't be suprised if Six arrives onscreen playing a character called "Tom Six"...Shooting starts in May for a release in 2013. Producer Ilona Six promises "100% political incorrectness". We'll keep you posted. We know you love it really.

Terence Davies adapting 'Sorrows'

Davies 'Mother of Sorrows'British auteur Terence Davies is developing a feature based on "Mother of Sorrows," the prize-winning 2005 debut novel by American Richard McCann.Davies is working on the project with Leopardrama, the fiction arm of London and NY-based production group Argonon. They have development funding from the EU's Media program."Mother of Sorrows" consists of 10 interwoven stories about two teenage brothers dealing with the death of their father and the influence of their strong, complex mother. The novel won the John C. Zacharis First Book Award and was nominated for the Stonewall Book Award for gay fiction."This is an important story because it touches the humanity in all of us," Davies said. "I love the delicacy of the book and its gentle odyssey from post-WWII optimism for the American Utopia to a deeper understanding of both maternal and filial love and an acceptance of mortality by surrendering to the light."Davies most recently directed 1950s-set melodrama "The Deep Blue Sea," starring Rachel Weisz, and is next set to shoot his long-awaited adaptation of classic Scottish novel "Sunset Song," written by Lewis Grassic Gibbon in 1932.His last film shot in the U.S. was "The Neon Bible" in 1995, though he also adapted Edith Wharton's novel "The House of Mirth" in 2000, using Glasgow for NY.Leopardrama, headed by Joey Attawia, Jez Swimer and David Chikwe, co-produced low-budget Brit thriller "The Holding" last year and made "An Englishman in NY," starring John Hurt, in 2009.Parent company Argonon has also announced that its 3D film of Matthew Bourne's production of the ballet "Swan Lake," which is due in U.K. cinemas this year, has been picked up by specialist arts distrib More2Screen for release in more than 600 theaters worldwide. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Captain Phillips To Start Shooting

Craig Ackroyd on Paul Greengrass' dramaWith Bourne,United states . 93 and Eco-friendly Focus his locker, PaulGreengrass can be a filmmaker who's as comfortable as anybody moving the political difficulties in the publish-9/11 landscape. He's stretching that to 'seascape' too, along with his new thriller, Captain Phillips, set almost entirely inside the Indian Ocean. Following a few false starts, cameras are finally poised to start getting around the director's dramatisation in the 2008 Maersk Alabama hijacking. The film stars Tom Hanks since the ship's American skipper, Capt. Richard Phillips, and involves his, and also the crew's terrifying encounter with many different gun-transporting Somali pirates. Not necessarily time old-ho-ho'ing kind of pirates. The nasty ones.The project reunites Greengrass along with his Eco-friendly Zone and United states . 93 cinematographer Craig Ackroyd, whose handheld camerawork should increase the risk for claustrophobic ship in the nightmarish rabbit warren. The DoP told Empire the second movie will give you the closest reason behind reference to the their new movie: "The building blocks of Captain Phillips is United states . 93. We don't want the story being as hectic as that film, but it is much like limited and high and dark."Captain Phillips hunkers lower inside the watertanks at Malta's Mediterranean Film Art galleries over the following day or two, before visiting the other agents due to its beach moments. Much more about the expansion after we get it.

Good timing for WGA prexy

Keyser Christopher Keyser has already faced one big disappointment in his first five months of his tenure as the 30th president of the Writers Guild of America West -- last month's stalling of Hollywood anti-piracy legislation on Capitol Hill."Piracy's a very real issue for our members because it takes money right out of our pockets," he notes. "Unfortunately, the industry lost control of what had been a very populist message when it became more about censorship."It's unusual for the guild to find itself on the opposing side of a censorship debate, but because piracy is such a bread-and-butter issue to members, Keyser said it's clear the industry will have to regroup but continue the fight against copyright-infringing activity.As the guild prepares to honor some of its leading lights at Sunday's Writers Guild Awards, Keyser says he's acutely aware of how tough economic times have taken a toll on members who aren't marquee names."It's a tough time for all middle-class people," he says. "The real issue for us is how to get through what continues to be a very difficult economic period."For that reason, he came out in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement early in his tenure -- during the first week of October -- and pledged that the WGA West would continue to be vocal on issues that impact writers and reach out directly to politicians via its political action committee.He's also promised that the guild leadership will evaluate the effectiveness of contract enforcement in such areas as late pay, free rewrites and "sweepstakes" pitching without pay. Keyser says the board's already laying the groundwork for negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers on a successor deal to the current master contract, which expires in May 2014. He was part of the board during the last negotiations cycle when the guild quietly reached a deal in early 2011 -- a sharp contrast to the previous round of negotiations, which featured a 100-day strike in 2007-08.WGA East president Michael Winship, who's in his third term, asserts that the outreach to members is well under way. "When you're getting ready for a negotiating cycle, you need to know about your constituents' concerns -- such as parity in cable with the broadcast networks and late pay," Winship says. Keyser's not venturing any kind of prediction as to how the negotiations might go when they start, noting that the key is to set bargaining priorities as a result of "consistent communication" with the membership.He's pleased that the board approved giving the late blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo screenplay credit for the 1953 film "Roman Holiday" in late December. And he reiterates that the org isn't going to change its policy of limiting eligibility for the WGA screen awards to films produced under guild jurisdiction -- even in the face of complaints by such members as Christopher Nolan who urged, during his acceptance speech for the WGA award for writing "Inception," that the guild loosen the rules."The WGA is the ultimate arbiter of screenplay credit, so the awards have to reflect that," Keyser says. "It's really a part of who we are." Both Keyser and Winship remain optimistic for expanding guild jurisdiction. The WGA East has scored some successes in organizing non-fiction cable TV at Atlas, Lion, ITV and Optimem."We had a pretty good year," Winship said. "We did pretty well at the AMPTP negotiations and with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. And we signed the Onion News Network along with new deals in new media and digital -- whose writers very much want to be part of the guild."Winship, who's in his third term as president, agrees with Keyser that the leadership is focused on economic issues."Our members tell us that they're concerned about achieving cable parity with the broadcast networks and late payments. When you're starting to get ready for a contract cycle, it's crucial that you do so with a complete knowledge of our members' priorities. So we had a year of reaching out." nWGA AWARDS 2012Truth elbows out gags | Good timing for WGA prexyHonoreesKress & McDuffie | Eric Roth | Tate Taylor | Patric Verrone | Zwick & Herskovitz Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Sci-Tech Awards marked by remembrance

Saturday night's Academy Scientific and Technical Awards banquet was marked by emotional remembrances of departed friends, a passionate defense of the Academy's mission to encourage excellence, and a call for the entire movie industry to rediscover the spectacle and showmanship that makes watching movies in theaters irresistible.The evening included the presentation of Oscar statuettes to Douglas Trumbull, who received the Sawyer Award for a career that includes groundbreaking visual effects, directing, and pioneering technology; and to the team that built the ARRI laser scanner, which had received an Academy Plaque in 2001 but was "upgraded," as the Acad sometimes does when an innovation stands the test of time. Because honorees are announced in advance and their families are present, the Sci-Techs are always among the most intimate of kudofests. Saturday's presentation was more emotional than most because two men were being honored posthumously: Dr. Jurgen Noffke, honored for the ARRI Zeiss Master Prime Lenses, died last year; and John Lowry, honored for the digital image restoration process that bears his name, died suddenly 21 days before the presentation. Noffke and Lowry were remembered at the podium by the teams that shared their awards. Lowry's widow took to the stage with his fellow winners to collect his Plaque. Trumbull, in his remarks, spoke of his future plans and said sadly "I was counting on John. That's a tough one."Trumbull's plans include making a movie with his Showscan Digital process and combining high frame rates, laser projection, high-gain screens to upgrade the movie experience. "I am trying to find a way to make a movie you are in, rather than looking at," he said.He called on the industry to rethink its next steps so it makes and presents movies that demand to be seen on the bigscreen, not on mobile devices, laptops and tablets. "I think we can make movies so people will (say) 'I want to go out to the movies tonight, because it's so big, it's so grand, it's so spectacular, and there's so much showmanship that I want to go out to the movies.'" Jonathan Erland, winner of the Bonner medal for service to the Academy, talked at length about the historical mission of the Academy to encourage excellence. He recalled the founders of the Academy itself, the previous winners of the Bonner medal and the tech pioneers he'd known and worked with, many now dead, including Doug Trumbull's father, Don TrumbullErland called on the Acad to remember the how important its mission is amidst the rapid technological and business change swirling around the movie industry. "There's an ancient Chinese curse: May you life in interesting times," said Bonner. "We're past interesting. We're all the way to white-knuckle fascinating." He reminded the gathering the main Oscarcast is supposed to support the Academy's mission and rejected the idea that entire org needs a new vision. "If our Academy still stands for excellence in motion pictures, and it must," he said, "then the real task before us is to manage the trends, such that motion pictures stay relevant to the Academy's mission and the ideals we espouse, not the other way about. When all motion pictures are excellent, then we can talk about a new vision for this Academy."Erland noted that he and other founding members of the Acad's revived Science and Technology Council are soon to term out. He said he and others are in the process of setting up an institute for motion picture studies that will cooperate with other orgs, including the Acad. The Sci-Tech banquet was once notorious for its gleefully cheesy entertainment, but those days are gone. Saturday night Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova performed three songs, including their Oscar-winning "Falling Slowly." With the main Oscarcast now planning to eschew song performances, that made the Sci-Techs the only Academy Award presentation this season to feature a live performance of a Best Song winner. Onstage, Hansard dedicated part of a song to the late Whitney Houston, and also saluted the late Ronnie Chasen, whom he said "was also very very good to us."Milla Jovovich was the presenter and host for the evening. She struggled at times with the jargon on her teleprompter, as all Sci-Tech presenters do, but won over the attendees with her warmth and enthusiasm. With no TV clock demanding they hustle offstage, every winner got his moment at the microphone to hail their fellow "nerds," and "geeks" and apologize to wives and children for the long hours they'd put in. More than one honoree said he hoped this would inspire his children. Andy Jantzen of Vision Research, collecting a Plaque for the Phantom high-speed camera, said to his children "The work your grandparents started in 1950 is not done. The work continues." Acad prexy Tom Sherak, at his final Sci-Tech banquet before his term ends, said he'd had time to ponder the oft-repeated idea that Academy President is the best unpaid job in the industry. He said that this Awards season, he realized why it was so: "I got to meet (Honorary Oscar winner) Richard Smith, and I got to meet Doug Trumbull." Contact David S. Cohen at david.cohen@variety.com

Grammy Honours: You won't Miss an issue with this particular Coverage!

Adele Is not it time for your Grammy Honours? Music's finest evening is going on on Sunday, and TVGuide.com and tv Guide Network might have your back before, throughout and following a show and that means you won't miss anything.Have a look finally years' Grammys fashion hits and missesIt starts Sunday with this particular Grammy Honours Red-colored-colored Carpet Countdown at 5/4c. Situated by Maria Sansone and Tim Kash, the show includes previews, predictions and early arrivals. At 6/5c, Chris Harrison will host Grammy Honours Red-colored-colored Carpet, where he'll interview the industry's finest names simply because they make their way lower the red-colored-colored carpet. TVGuide.com will at the same time stream Fashion Cam coverage of stars' arrivals, and fans will have a way to go over their preferred looks via Facebook. Through the Grammys broadcast (8/7c on CBS), you'll be able to follow along after we live-tweet the whole show. Among the scheduled artists: Adele, Chris Brown, Bruce Springsteen as well as the E Street Band, Tony Bennett and Barbara Underwood.2011 Grammys: Best performancesIt will all cap off Monday at 8/7c with this particular Grammy Honours Fashion Wrap. Ali Landry and her team of experts, including Tabatha Coffey, will dissect the night's best and worst styles and, clearly, hair.

Spike Lee Stands By 'Red Hook Summer'

Director Spike Lee's "Red Hook Summer" isn't all it appears to be. The religiously-charged drama about an Atlanta boy sent to spend the summer with his Brooklyn-based estranged grandfather, a preacher, has a dark secret at its core, one that Lee intends to "keep on lock." "Everything is evolution," the celebrated NY filmmaker told MTV News at the Sundance Film Festival about his movie's origins. "I don't know anyone who the first time they sit down to talk has [a story] mapped out from beginning, middle and end. It was the evolution of a germ of an idea and we kept building layer upon layer upon layer." Where did that germ of an idea come from, you ask? Believe it or not, the answer is none other than horror novelist Stephen King, at least in part. "We wanted to make a film about young black kids, like 'Stand By Me,'" said Lee. "I love that film. Where's the people of color version of that film? I'm not saying this is it, but that's the type of film I want to see that. James and I wanted to see this film in a theater. We wanted the world to see these characters in this isolated part of Brooklyn, Red Hook." Lee's Sundance entry is not the only high profile project on his radar at the moment. The filmmaker is currently working on the American adaptation of "Oldboy," starring Josh Brolin and potentially Mia Wasikowska. When the subject was brought up, Lee's lips were shut tight. "We'll see. Still working on it," he said of the film's progress. "People are fanatical about that film and they've let me know. We're not scared of anything, but right now we're focusing on 'Red Hook Summer.'" The 2012 Sundance Film Festival is officially under way, and the MTV Movies team is on the ground reporting on the hottest stars and the movies everyone will be talking about in the year to come. Keep it locked with MTV Movies for everything there is to know about Sundance.

'Awakening' stirs up Friday B.O.

'Underworld Awakening'Sony's occult actioner "Underworld Awakening" required the domestic B.O. yesterday about $9.4 million.The franchise 4th is keeping pace with studio estimations which have it generating within the mid-$20 million range to win the weekend. Pic is the first one to feature three dimensional and the first one to star Kate Beckinsale since 2006's "Underworld: Evolution," which The new sony is wishing can give the film better business in holdover frames than its forerunners."Awakening" is outpacing all previous "Underworld" payments except "Evolution," which made $10.two million on opening evening.Fox's "Red-colored Tails" made $six million Friday to put second. Starting the weekend, Fox shipped a conservative estimate within the high single numbers for that frame, while other B.O. experts expect "Red-colored Tails" to land within the mid-teens and yesterday's gross appears to aid that.Universal holdover "Contraband" gained $3.7 yesterday, putting it simply in front of Warner Bros.' "Very Noisy and extremely Close," which opened up wide in the fifth frame to earn $3.two million yesterday. Photos have cumed $37.six million and $3.9 million, correspondingly.Finally, Relativity opener "Haywire" bowed to $2.9 million yesterday. The Steven Soderbergh pic is anticipated to fall within the high single numbers this frame. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Zoe Saldana Heats Up Sundance With 'The Words'

Zoe Saldana Heats Up Sundance With 'The Words' By Jenelle Riley January 18, 2012 Photo by Jeff Vespa/Contour by Getty Images Zoe Saldana The first time Zoe Saldana attended the Sundance Film Festival, she was, in her words, "somebody's plus-one." Her sister Cisely worked on "Gun Hill Road," which premiered at last year's fest, and Saldana went along to offer support. The actor had also participated in the 2001 Directors Lab workshop, in which she spent part of her summer working on a script called "Sleep Dealer." Says Saldana, "It was heaven. Everybody just lends their time and support to these filmmakers; it was a great experience." So the stunning actor, perhaps best known for films such as "Avatar" and "Star Trek," is already familiar with the Park City, Utah, neighborhood. This year she will be attending with a film of her own, the twisty thriller "The Words," co-starring Bradley Cooper and Olivia Wilde. The film marks the feature-writing and directing debut of Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal, childhood friends of Cooper, who plays a writer on the verge of major success who might have plagiarized the work of an author played by Jeremy Irons. But Saldana says it's about much more. "It's a love story, and it's also a story about a boy trying to become a man," she notes. "There are some interesting twists, so I wouldn't even know how to explain it to you in a way that wouldn't give something away." Saldana plays the wife of Cooper's character, a role she says is quite different from women she has previously portrayed. "This is someone who believes so much in her husband and is willing to do anything for love," she says. "The script got my attention immediately, and when I went to meet Brian and Lee in person, they told me their plans for making the film. And I was completely swept off my feet." Of course, the low-budget world of "The Words" must be very different from working on a project such as "Avatar," the highest-grossing movie of all time. Is it safe to say the catering bill on James Cameron's sci-fi flick was larger than the entire shooting budget on "The Words"? Saldana laughs and replies, "It was, but both films have the same amount of heart." As for working with first-time directors, Saldana is equally generous in her praise. "If anything, working with small budgets and directors just starting out is more familiar to me. Being an underdog myself, I know what it's like when a chance is taken on you." Being Blue Saldana admits there was a time when she swore off big-budget movie experiences. She broke out with her 2000 film debut, "Center Stage," an ideal role for the trained dancer. Shortly thereafter, she signed on to "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," which would become a blockbuster and spawn three sequels (as of now). But it was not a pleasurable time for Saldana. "I had such a bad experience working on a big-budget movie; I literally left that experience with the worst aftertaste of Hollywood ever," she reveals. "I was like, I'll never do a big movie again; I'll never move to L.A.I was even thinking about quitting." Instead, she put herself on tape for Steven Spielberg's next film, the 2004 comedy-drama "The Terminal." She wanted to try something different, so she committed an audition sinshe chewed gum while delivering her lines. Word came back that Spielberg wanted to see her again. "He liked the fact that I tried something different, but he wanted to see me without the gum," Saldana says. When she won the role, she had some hesitation. "I remember thinking that if 'Pirates' was big, this would be 10 times bigger. And it was. But it was also the most amazing, humbling experience, and it taught me so much." She credits Spielberg with renewing her faith in filmmaking. "Before he's a filmmaker, he's a father, a friend, a brother, a son," she enthuses. "He's someone I want to be when I grow up."No longer scared away by big budgets, Saldana jumped with glee into the role of Nyota Uhura in the "Star Trek" reboot. "People don't believe me when I say this, but I'm a fucking geek!" she exclaims. "I've been a science fiction fanatic all my life. The first movie I really remember impacting me was 'The Hunger.' I was reading Stephen King as a kid! I wanted to go as Lady Jessica from 'Dune' for Halloween!" That is only one of many things that made Saldana the perfect choice to play Neytiri, the beautiful and spirited daughter of the leader of the Na'vi clan in "Avatar." Saldana spent countless hours on a motion capture stage, with more than 100 cameras recording her every movement. She earned raves for the performanceCameron called it Oscar-worthybut did it ever bother her that her face wasn't being seen? "If I told you no, I would be lying to you, and I don't want to bullshit you," Saldana says with a laugh. "The reality is that, as human beings, we're prone to vanity." She says once the process was explained to her, she got over her doubts. "The reality is, I want to be known for my work, not my face. In truth, Neytiri is the best role an actress could ever be given. I got to pour my heart and soul into her, and that's what stays with peoplenot who I'm dating or what I'm wearing. I literally bled for that character, and the fact it touched so many people is a blessing."Her work didn't go unnoticed by the industry. Among her fans was filmmaker Luc Besson, who cast Saldana in the lead role of last year's action flick "Colombiana," which he wrote and produced. "He was really moved by 'Avatar,' and he gave me this script," Saldana recalls. "He said, 'Read this. If you want to do it, it's yours.' " Another perk of the role? Daniel Day-Lewis approached Saldana to tell her his son had a crush on Neytiri. "To me, he's one of the best actors who has ever walked this earth," she raves. "And for him to give me credit,I can't even explain it. I won. I won everything." Thrill of the Chase Saldana is being offered movies like "Colombiana" with increasing frequency, but she has mixed feelings about skipping the audition process. "It has gotten easier to get in certain rooms," she says. "But I wouldn't want it to get too easy, because it takes away the hunger and the excitement of getting something. I like having to chase something I really want, because things that fall in your lap are things you take for granted."She will admit to some bad audition experiences"where you freeze or you cry or you sabotage everything"but also says there have been roles she didn't get but that left her feeling like she had won the respect of the director and the CD. Either way, she looks for feedback. "I always tell my team to tell me the truth; it's the only way I can get better," she notes. "I don't like hearing 'Well, you just weren't what they were looking for.' No, tell me! I want to know!" Saldana says her attitude about auditioning has been helped by her mother's support. "My mother has been such an encouraging figure in my life and always told me to remember I am equal to everything and everyone," she notes. "Every time I'd leave the houseI could have been going for an interview or meeting someone's parents for the first time or going on an auditionshe would always say before I walked through the door, 'Zoe? I hope you like them.' " Continues Saldana, "With that simple thing, she told me so much: that even though I'm out there to look for something, to see if they will give something to me, I also have to give it back to them. Me liking you is just as important as you liking me. I matter just as much. She always centered me. She would say, 'It's fifty-fifty, and you bring in one of the fifty.' "Coming Attractions Sequels for "Star Trek" and "Avatar" are in the works, though Saldana is understandably mum when it comes to information on either. "I could tell you the things I've heard, but then I would be robbing you of the experience of seeing them," she notes. "I don't want to lose that childlike quality in me that made me fall in love with movies in the first place. And I really don't want to do that to anyone else." She does know that Cameron is hard at work on a script for "Avatar 2," adding, "I don't know that much about it, but I know it will be amazing and heart-wrenching." Of course, Saldana is bundling up to head to Sundance to see "The Words" with an audience for the first time. Asked if she'll have time to hit any of the famous parties, she replies, "To me, going to see movies and supporting colleagues is my party. So I certainly hope to do that and soak up the experience of having a film at Sundance.""The Words" plays the Sundance Film Festival Jan. 27, 6:30 p.m.; Jan. 28, 9 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.; Jan. 29, 12:30 p.m. Visit filmguide.sundance.org/film/120121/the_words for more information. Outtakes -Other films include "Death at a Funeral," "Guess Who," and "The Losers"-Began working as a teenager with a theater group in Brooklyn called FACES, which puts on shows promoting positive messages to kids-Got her SAG card on a Burger King commercial-Works with acting teacher Catlin Adams, whom she calls "my guru" Zoe Saldana Heats Up Sundance With 'The Words' By Jenelle Riley January 18, 2012 Zoe Saldana PHOTO CREDIT Jeff Vespa/Contour by Getty Images The first time Zoe Saldana attended the Sundance Film Festival, she was, in her words, "somebody's plus-one." Her sister Cisely worked on "Gun Hill Road," which premiered at last year's fest, and Saldana went along to offer support. The actor had also participated in the 2001 Directors Lab workshop, in which she spent part of her summer working on a script called "Sleep Dealer." Says Saldana, "It was heaven. Everybody just lends their time and support to these filmmakers; it was a great experience." So the stunning actor, perhaps best known for films such as "Avatar" and "Star Trek," is already familiar with the Park City, Utah, neighborhood. This year she will be attending with a film of her own, the twisty thriller "The Words," co-starring Bradley Cooper and Olivia Wilde. The film marks the feature-writing and directing debut of Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal, childhood friends of Cooper, who plays a writer on the verge of major success who might have plagiarized the work of an author played by Jeremy Irons. But Saldana says it's about much more. "It's a love story, and it's also a story about a boy trying to become a man," she notes. "There are some interesting twists, so I wouldn't even know how to explain it to you in a way that wouldn't give something away." Saldana plays the wife of Cooper's character, a role she says is quite different from women she has previously portrayed. "This is someone who believes so much in her husband and is willing to do anything for love," she says. "The script got my attention immediately, and when I went to meet Brian and Lee in person, they told me their plans for making the film. And I was completely swept off my feet." Of course, the low-budget world of "The Words" must be very different from working on a project such as "Avatar," the highest-grossing movie of all time. Is it safe to say the catering bill on James Cameron's sci-fi flick was larger than the entire shooting budget on "The Words"? Saldana laughs and replies, "It was, but both films have the same amount of heart." As for working with first-time directors, Saldana is equally generous in her praise. "If anything, working with small budgets and directors just starting out is more familiar to me. Being an underdog myself, I know what it's like when a chance is taken on you." Being Blue Saldana admits there was a time when she swore off big-budget movie experiences. She broke out with her 2000 film debut, "Center Stage," an ideal role for the trained dancer. Shortly thereafter, she signed on to "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," which would become a blockbuster and spawn three sequels (as of now). But it was not a pleasurable time for Saldana. "I had such a bad experience working on a big-budget movie; I literally left that experience with the worst aftertaste of Hollywood ever," she reveals. "I was like, I'll never do a big movie again; I'll never move to L.A.I was even thinking about quitting." Instead, she put herself on tape for Steven Spielberg's next film, the 2004 comedy-drama "The Terminal." She wanted to try something different, so she committed an audition sinshe chewed gum while delivering her lines. Word came back that Spielberg wanted to see her again. "He liked the fact that I tried something different, but he wanted to see me without the gum," Saldana says. When she won the role, she had some hesitation. "I remember thinking that if 'Pirates' was big, this would be 10 times bigger. And it was. But it was also the most amazing, humbling experience, and it taught me so much." She credits Spielberg with renewing her faith in filmmaking. "Before he's a filmmaker, he's a father, a friend, a brother, a son," she enthuses. "He's someone I want to be when I grow up."No longer scared away by big budgets, Saldana jumped with glee into the role of Nyota Uhura in the "Star Trek" reboot. "People don't believe me when I say this, but I'm a fucking geek!" she exclaims. "I've been a science fiction fanatic all my life. The first movie I really remember impacting me was 'The Hunger.' I was reading Stephen King as a kid! I wanted to go as Lady Jessica from 'Dune' for Halloween!" That is only one of many things that made Saldana the perfect choice to play Neytiri, the beautiful and spirited daughter of the leader of the Na'vi clan in "Avatar." Saldana spent countless hours on a motion capture stage, with more than 100 cameras recording her every movement. She earned raves for the performanceCameron called it Oscar-worthybut did it ever bother her that her face wasn't being seen? "If I told you no, I would be lying to you, and I don't want to bullshit you," Saldana says with a laugh. "The reality is that, as human beings, we're prone to vanity." She says once the process was explained to her, she got over her doubts. "The reality is, I want to be known for my work, not my face. In truth, Neytiri is the best role an actress could ever be given. I got to pour my heart and soul into her, and that's what stays with peoplenot who I'm dating or what I'm wearing. I literally bled for that character, and the fact it touched so many people is a blessing."Her work didn't go unnoticed by the industry. Among her fans was filmmaker Luc Besson, who cast Saldana in the lead role of last year's action flick "Colombiana," which he wrote and produced. "He was really moved by 'Avatar,' and he gave me this script," Saldana recalls. "He said, 'Read this. If you want to do it, it's yours.' " Another perk of the role? Daniel Day-Lewis approached Saldana to tell her his son had a crush on Neytiri. "To me, he's one of the best actors who has ever walked this earth," she raves. "And for him to give me credit,I can't even explain it. I won. I won everything." Thrill of the Chase Saldana is being offered movies like "Colombiana" with increasing frequency, but she has mixed feelings about skipping the audition process. "It has gotten easier to get in certain rooms," she says. "But I wouldn't want it to get too easy, because it takes away the hunger and the excitement of getting something. I like having to chase something I really want, because things that fall in your lap are things you take for granted."She will admit to some bad audition experiences"where you freeze or you cry or you sabotage everything"but also says there have been roles she didn't get but that left her feeling like she had won the respect of the director and the CD. Either way, she looks for feedback. "I always tell my team to tell me the truth; it's the only way I can get better," she notes. "I don't like hearing 'Well, you just weren't what they were looking for.' No, tell me! I want to know!" Saldana says her attitude about auditioning has been helped by her mother's support. "My mother has been such an encouraging figure in my life and always told me to remember I am equal to everything and everyone," she notes. "Every time I'd leave the houseI could have been going for an interview or meeting someone's parents for the first time or going on an auditionshe would always say before I walked through the door, 'Zoe? I hope you like them.' " Continues Saldana, "With that simple thing, she told me so much: that even though I'm out there to look for something, to see if they will give something to me, I also have to give it back to them. Me liking you is just as important as you liking me. I matter just as much. She always centered me. She would say, 'It's fifty-fifty, and you bring in one of the fifty.' "Coming Attractions Sequels for "Star Trek" and "Avatar" are in the works, though Saldana is understandably mum when it comes to information on either. "I could tell you the things I've heard, but then I would be robbing you of the experience of seeing them," she notes. "I don't want to lose that childlike quality in me that made me fall in love with movies in the first place. And I really don't want to do that to anyone else." She does know that Cameron is hard at work on a script for "Avatar 2," adding, "I don't know that much about it, but I know it will be amazing and heart-wrenching." Of course, Saldana is bundling up to head to Sundance to see "The Words" with an audience for the first time. Asked if she'll have time to hit any of the famous parties, she replies, "To me, going to see movies and supporting colleagues is my party. So I certainly hope to do that and soak up the experience of having a film at Sundance.""The Words" plays the Sundance Film Festival Jan. 27, 6:30 p.m.; Jan. 28, 9 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.; Jan. 29, 12:30 p.m. Visit filmguide.sundance.org/film/120121/the_words for more information. Outtakes -Other films include "Death at a Funeral," "Guess Who," and "The Losers"-Began working as a teenager with a theater group in Brooklyn called FACES, which puts on shows promoting positive messages to kids-Got her SAG card on a Burger King commercial-Works with acting teacher Catlin Adams, whom she calls "my guru"

Supernaturals Jared Padalecki Excited Over Baby In Route

First Released: The month of january 12, 2012 7:28 PM EST Credit: FilmMagic La, Calif. -- Caption Jared Padalecki and the wife/actress Genevieve Cortese get to Saban Theatre, La, on March 13, 2012Supernaturals Jared Padalecki is days from the birth of his first child together with his wife, actress Genevieve Cortese, and that he couldnt become more passionate. Im very excited, the Supernatural star stated on Thursday in the Bad-A** Boys from the CW panel in the Television Experts Association Winter Session in Pasadena. I really hope it does not bleed over into my work because I've got a boorish excitement about this, Im almost concerned about how excited I'm, he ongoing. The actor, who plays Mike Winchester around the CW show, stated he cant watch for his arrival or to become a parent. I seem like I ought to be nervous because Im getting a existence that Im likely to be half accountable for a while in March, he stated. Im so kind chomping around the bits simply to get my hands in mid-air and lift our child that at this time Im much like a fired up son. Supernatural airs Friday nights at 9/8c around the CW. Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Twilights Ashley Greene Ready To Pass The Torch To Hunger Games Stars

First Launched: The month of the month of january 12, 2012 3:22 PM EST Credit: Getty Images Caption Ashley Greene reaches the 2012 Peoples Choice Honours held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in La around the month of the month of january 11, 2012LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Since The Twilight Saga draws with a close this year, youthful adult fiction fans are hungry for an additional book-to-silver screen hit and Ashley Greene thinks the arrival The Hunger Games will fill the fans interest in next great story. Its great that Twilight is going to an finish but plenty of our fans will probably think that same love which same desire for The Hunger Games, the actress told AccessHollywood.coms Laura Saltman on Wednesday evening within the Peoples Choice Honours. [The fans will] have another factor to think this way about, she referred to. Im really excited for people to be capable of undergo that which you experienced. Im very excited for the someone to be launched. The 24-year-old actress, who plays Alice Cullen inside the film adaptations of Stephenie Meyers books, may also be happy shes wrapped her franchise. All the effort is carried out, were done filming it, Ashley mentioned. Now we just achieve kind of relax watching it solve. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning - Part 2 hits theaters on November 16 as well as the Hunger Games debuts on March 23. Uncover exactly what it was like for Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson to hug co-star Jennifer Lawrence, HERE! Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

George Clooney, 'Monuments Men'? Actor Expects to Direct and Star in Film About Stolen Nazi Art

It seems like George Clooney finds his next directorial project -- also it might be the finest of his career. Speaking to TheWrap in the users hand Springs Film Festival in the last weekend, Clooney confirmed he'd tackle "Monuments Males" next -- a film in regards to the recovery of art stolen with the Nazis in World War Ii. "I'm searching toward it," Clooney mentioned to TheWrap on Saturday. "It's a fun move since it might be large entertainment. It's a large budget, you can't take action small -- it's landing in Normandy." Using the Robert M. Edsel book "The Monuments Males: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, as well as the Finest Treasure Search ever,Inch the project would have a team of art professionals who search the lost products. (Like "Ocean's 11" in World War Ii?) Furthermore to starring and pointing, Clooney will co-write "Monuments Males" along with his extended-time creating partner Grant Heslov. Clooney, who formerly directed "The Ides of March," "Leatherheads," "Evening, and All The Best,In . and "Confessions from the Dangerous Mind," mentioned this might be his most commercial film yet...though a twist. "I'm not towards undertaking an industrial film, I'm just towards undertaking an industrial film that doesn't feel organic in my opinion,In . he mentioned. "Therefore as likely to carry out a commercial film we thought, 'Let's take action that seems fun and extremely have something to convey.AInch Start the Ryan Gosling, Kaira Pitt and Matt Damon casting gossips...now. [via TheWrap] [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

J.J. Abrams Talks Casting Incredible Benedict Cumberbatch In Star Trek Sequel

First Published: January 8, 2012 3:29 PM EST Credit: Getty Images Caption J.J. Abrams, Benedict CumberbatchLOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Despite the reports, J.J. Abrams wont confirm that Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch is specifically set to play Star Treks villain in the second film in the intergalactic series, which begins shooting next week, but he was willing to talk about what brought the British actor to the fold. Hes a genius, J.J. told AccessHollywood.com on Sunday, following the panel at the Television Critics Association Winter Session in Pasadena, for his new show on FOX, Alcatraz. Hes just an incredible actor, J.J. continued of Benedict. Honestly, if youve seen the work in Sherlock, hes just got incredible skills. He did amazing work in Frankenstein [on the London stage]. Hes brilliant. I mean, you try to cast people who are great. We got lucky. J.J. confirmed they met with a number of actors for the Star Trek sequel, but Benedict was the right fit. I just loved his work and thought that he was perfect for what we needed, so we were very lucky, J.J. told Access. The second Star Trek under J.J. begins shooting next week, but J.J. said hell still have time to fulfill his Executive Producer duties in Alcatraz, which reunites him with Lost actor Jorge Garcia. We start shooting Star Trek on Thursday, so I gotta go, he laughed. What Ive been trying to do is help, whether its read the scripts, giving notes, giving suggestions on cuts, overseeing doing the theme music, that kind of stuff, playing with the show and kind of help get it up running. Alcatraz follows a trio investigating the reappearance of Alcatrazs most notorious prisoners and guards, 50 years after they vanished. The show will have some resolution in each episode, but also overriding questions. I cant help but liking shows that have an ongoing mythology, J.J. told reporters after the panel. Its a weird thing to me to feel like things are wrapped up completely, so hopefully, Alcatraz will allow things to exist over [the] long term and also have a week to week specific puzzle that needs to be solved. Alcatrazs two-hour premiere kicks off at 8/7c on January 16 on FOX. Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Joe Manuel Gallegos Junior. ...Got the Part

When Santa Further ed, N.M., native Joe Manuel Gallegos Junior. gone to live in L.A. at the outset of 2011 to operate being an actor along with a dancer, among his focal points was to enroll in a digital subscription to Back Stage. Soon after, he saw a casting notice for any fitness DVD. "It had been a dance gig and was right up my alley," he states. He attended outdoors call with roughly 150 other ballroom dancers and was among the six ballroom dancers selected.The audition comprised of the dance portion by which he was trained a Latinhip-hop fusion-style dance after which was requested to do demos of some fundamental fitness moves. Gallegos practical knowledge with many dance stylesincluding jazz, ballet, tap, stylish-hop, modern, partner dancing, and Irish dancing, so he was well-prepared. Younger crowd had experience teaching dance, therefore the demonstration part of the audition came naturally, too.Rachel Tonick, matching producer around the DVD, states Gallegos was the very first pick for that males. He'd an excellent presence the moment he walked in, she states. "Joe is an extremely polished dancer and incredibly polite. We're able to tell he'd be professional and simple to utilize.Inch She states he was precisely what she and director Cal Pozo been on mind once they began casting.Pozo planned to shoot the entire DVD in a single day, so it was vital to achieve the programs perfected in advance. "We'd three intense days, very lengthy times of learning three major amounts which were trained within the training videos, and more awesome-lower exercises," states Gallegos. Then they shot the project in a single day. Gallegos states he would like to use Pozo again when the timing calculates, and Tonick states they would like to use Gallegos again.Gallegos showed up in L.A. having a solid base, since he'd been employed in the film industry in Boise State Broncos, Nevada, and Utah and was part of SAG. "I fell in very rapidly and modified," he states. Since he began focus on the DVD so rapidly after moving to L.A., Gallegos think it is great to listen to tales and obtain insight in the ballroom dancers within the cast who was simply employed in L.A. for some time. Gallegos states his dance training aids in the stunt work he is doing for a few years. Though he loves dancing, he's concentrating on acting and it has done an industrial along with a pilot because the DVD. He notes that since he's past representing teens, he frequently will get cast as cops, EMTs, or clean-cut professionals.For additional info on "Billy Blanks Junior.'s Body fat-Burning Stylish Hop Mix," visit world wide web.meettheblanks.com/billy-blanks-junior-body fat-burning-stylish-hop-mix-dvd/.Joe Manuel Gallegos Junior. is symbolized by Jamie Ferrar Agency and Jody Black in a&M Talent House.Has Back Stage assisted you receive cast previously year? We'd like to inform your story. Maintain the weekly column by contacting casting@backstage.com for NY or bswcasting@backstage.com for La with "I Acquired the Part" within the subject line.

Natalie Wood Death Investigation A Cold Case

First Published: January 4, 2012 6:43 PM EST Credit: WireImage LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Caption Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner during Look Magazine Party at Jimmys Restaurant in Beverly Hills, February 14, 1979Natalie Woods death investigation is now a cold case, Access Hollywood has confirmed. Los Angeles Sheriffs Department spokesperson Steve Whitmore said the investigation into the late actress death, which was prompted by new information in Marti Rullis book, Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour, is now in the LASD cold case file and not going anywhere. Whitmore told Access Hollywood he argued against announcing a new probe. He called the reopening of the case in the actress death 30 years ago a one day deal, driven by book publicity. As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, on November 17, 2011, the LASD announced just a little less than two weeks before the 30th anniversary of the actress death that they were reopening the investigation into her drowning. Sheriffs Homicide Investigators were contacted by persons who stated they had additional information about the Natalie Wood Wagner drowning. Due to the additional information, Sheriffs Homicide Bureau has decided to take another look at the case, a LASD release said at the time. Natalies husband at the time of her death, Robert Wagner, was not a suspect, LASD officials said in November. Wagner has denied any wrongdoing. Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.