This month in SEAN, Helygen has a comprehensive update on the latest goings-on from Gerard Butler, Ewen Bremner, Robert Carlyle, James McAvoy, David Tennant and John Barrowman, as well as the new trailer from the Scottish inspired Pixar animation ‘Brave’.
Scottish stars Kelly Macdonald & Alan Cumming in running for Emmy Awards
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Scots actress Kelly Macdonald is up for an Emmy award for her role in the TV series Boardwalk Empire.
The 35-year-old Glasgow-born star, who plays Irish widow Margaret Schroeder in the acclaimed HBO series, is nominated as best supporting actress.
Perthshire-born actor Alan Cumming has been nominated in the best supporting actor category for legal drama The Good Wife. It is the 46-year-old’s second Emmy nomination for his role as the political manipulator Eli Gold.
The ceremony will take place on September 18 in Los Angeles.
Read more at Daily Record
Jack the Giant Killer reunites Scottish Trainspotting stars and adds Avatar effects team
Scottish actor Ewen Bremner is linking back up with fellow Trainspotting star Ewan McGregor for a blockbuster movie next summer based on fairytale story Jack and the Beanstalk
Ewen was speaking to STV at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, where he was appearing to promote Perfect Sense, the new David Mackenzie movie in which he stars alongside Ewan McGregor and Eva Green.
He said of the highly anticipated new movie: “It’s quite an extravaganza, a very special effects-heavy movie with these characters, these giants that are relating to humans. Technically it’s very difficult to make it convincing, but I think we’ve broken the back of that technology with things like Avatar. I think some of the same team that made that work are working on our film, and that technology’s advancing so fast. It’s a fantastical fairytale story about Jack and the Beanstalk, which Ewan McGregor is also working on, and Bill Nighy from Page Eight [a film also starring Ewen on at EIFF] is also working on as well, it’s quite exciting. Bryan Singer’s directing it, who’s made some really strong stuff, and it’s a big Hollywood blockbuster.”
The film is billed as “a modern day fairy tale in which the long-standing peace between men and giants is threatened, as a young farmer leads an expedition into the giants’ kingdom in hopes of rescuing a kidnapped princess”.
Source (includes video interview with Ewen): STV
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And the winner is…the return of the Scottish Bafta awards
SCOTLAND’S film and television industry is to get its own “Oscars” back.
Bafta in Scotland – the Scottish wing of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts – is once again to give out its annual awards, after an absence of two years.
Now re-named the British Academy Scotland Awards, the ceremony for Scottish talent in movies, television and the gaming industry will be held in Glasgow in November.
Winners will be announced from 15 categories – including best actor and actress in both television and movies, best feature film and best television drama.
Nominations will be announced in October, but recent Scottish films such as Peter Mullan’s Neds, Kevin Macdonald’s The Eagle, David Mackenzie’s Perfect Sense and Sylvain Chomet’s The Illusionist are likely to be in the running for awards.
Television shows such as David Tennant’s Single Father, Taggart, River City, Limmy, The Scheme and Case Histories could also be shortlisted.
Three “special contribution” awards will be given on the night of the gala “red carpet” affair, which will be held on November 13 at the Radisson Hotel. There will also be an award for live television coverage of an event, with the Pope’s visit to Scotland, the Scottish Parliament and T in the Park all probable contenders.
Nominations for this year’s awards will be announced on October 17. The categories are: children’s programme, television drama, entertainment show, live event coverage, factual series, current affairs, single documentary, game, actor and actress for television and film, writer, director, animation, short film and feature film.
The Scottish film industry received a boost this week with news the country’s first film studio could open by the end of the year. Talks are at an advanced stage for a £3 million expansion of the Film City Glasgow project, which helped produce movies such as Red Road, Hallam Foe and Neds.
Source: Herald Scotland
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“Brave” – updates and trailer
Brave: Teaser Trailer!
The teaser trailer for Brave has hit the web!
Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) is a skilled archer and the daughter of King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson).
Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane).
Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Wise Woman (Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.
Brave hits theaters NEXT SUMMER!
httpv://youtu.be/tYg0VgPy6Uk
Source: Just Jared Jnr
STV also have an article featuring the trailer here.
They are the movie geniuses who took us to the world of scary monsters, the depths of the ocean and the heart of the toy box. And now the animation pioneers of Pixar are getting ready to bring their audiences the most fantastic landscape they have ever encountered – the Highlands in 3D.
The Disney-owned studio are putting the finishing touches to the next computer-animated blockbuster, Brave, the mythical story of a Scottish princess taking on magical forces across the Highlands.
The film is released next summer but the Daily Record has been given an exclusive sneak peek at the eagerly anticipated film.
It features a Who’s Who of Scots talent, including Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Kevin McKidd, Robbie Coltrane and Craig Ferguson, alongside award-winning actresses Emma Thompson and Julie Walters.
But director Mark Andrews says the biggest star of the movie will be Scotland itself.
He has had teams of researchers scouring the country to make sure they get the scenery, the rain, the Scottish dialects – and even the midges – just right.
Source: Daily Record
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James McAvoy ‘to take lead’ in Danny Boyle’s ‘Trance’?
James McAvoy, star of The Last King of Scotland and X-Men: First Class, has replaced fellow X-Men actor Michael Fassbender in the lead role of Danny Boyle’s next film, Trance, according to a report in Variety magazine.
Trance is a remake of a 2001 British TV drama written and directed by Joe Ahearne (best known for his work on This Life and Doctor Who), and is about an auction house employee who helps to steal a painting, but then suffers amnesia and can’t remember where it’s hidden.
Fassbender, who played Magneto in X-Men: First Class, was originally in line for the role, but appears to have dropped out, clearing the way for McAvoy, who played Xavier in the same movie.
Boyle, who won the Academy award for best director in 2008 for Slumdog Millionaire, is due to direct the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and plans to shoot Trance before the event gets under way.
Source: The Guardian
It’s a wrap for ‘California Solo’
Production has wrapped on indie feature California Solo, starring Robert Carlyle and directed by Marshall Lewy from his own script.
“Solo” follows a former Britpop rocker who works on an organic farm and gets caught driving drunk, leading to a possible deportation after living in Los Angeles for 20 years.
Produced by Mynette Louie, pic also stars Alexia Rasmussen, Kathleen Wilhoite, A Martinez, Michael Des Barres, and Danny Masterson.
Carlyle starred in the “Trainspotting,” “The Full Monty” and “28 Weeks Later.” He will be playing Rumpelstiltskin in the forthcoming ABC series “Once Upon a Time.”
Lewy previously wrote and directed “Blue State” and is adapting “Born to Run” for Peter Sarsgaard to direct.
“California Solo” is executive produced by Carlyle, Joan Huang of Cherry Sky Films, and Rick Rosenthal and Nick Morton of Whitewater Films. Principal photography commenced in Los Angeles in June.
Source: Variety
Relativity acquires Gerard Butler’s ‘Machine Gun Preacher’
Machine Gun Preacher, Gerard Butler’s upcoming foray into serious drama, has been acquired by Relativity Media. Michelle Monaghan, Kathy Baker, and Michael Shannon also star in the film, based on the true story of former drug-dealing criminal Sam Childers (Butler). After finding faith, Childers travels to Sudan and is shocked by the brutality he sees. He becomes a crusader for hundreds of refugee children and brings peace to his own life in the process.
Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Monster’s Ball) directed and Jason Keller (Relativity’s untitled Snow White project starring Julia Roberts as the evil Queen) wrote the project.
Relativity will theatrically market and distribute the film throughout North America in advance of its limited-release opening on Sept. 23.
Source: Entertainment Weekly: Inside Movies
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New Photos from Fright Night 3D
A variety of new photos have been released for two upcoming horror movies — director Craig Gillespie’s Fright Night remake and director David R. Ellis’ follow-up to The Final Destination, Shark Night.
The latest photos for Fright Night center on one character, that of Las Vegas magician and vampire “expert” Peter Vincent, played by former Dr. Who star David Tennant. The character of Vincent has been mostly absent from the movie’s promotional campaign, though he recently received a character poster in his native U.K. and finally made an extended appearance in the movie’s latest trailer, released in June.
In the 1985 original, Vincent was a late-night, horror movie TV host (played by Roddy McDowell), who spends a good amount of the movie not believing that Charlie Brewster has a vampire living next door to him. In the new photos, Vincent is shown in what looks like his Vegas hotel room, and then then is depicted holding a shotgun, which usually wouldn’t cause much damage to a vampire, but the cross placed at at the end of the gun implies that there may be more to the weapon than meets the eye.
Fright Night opens Aug. 19th and stars Anton Yelchin as Brewster, the high school student with a vampire problem, Imogen Poots as Brewster’s girlfriend Amy, and Colin Farrell as Jerry Dandridge, Bewster’s vampire neighbor.
Source: Reelz Channel
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Call me Doctor: John Barrowman receives honorary drama degree
The Scottish/American actor went from Doctor Who to Doctor of Drama at Glasgow’s RSAMD
Scottish stage and screen star John Barrowman was awarded an honorary Doctor of Drama degree by the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama on 5 July.
The Glasgow-born Desperate Housewives and Doctor Who star was presented with the accolade in the city, and said that he was delighted to finally be called Dr Barrowman.
“What’s really interesting is that 21 years ago I actually did my first audition for Anything Goes in 1989 here opposite Elaine Paige, got the job and wasn’t able to finish my degree, which I was coming over to the UK to get. And here I am 21 years later, I’ve finally got it,” the star told STV, before adding: “You can call me Doctor now!”
The actor continued: “I’m really honoured, I’m really chuffed and I’m glad I’m back up in Scotland and able to celebrate in full highland dress, and celebrate my heritage and get my degree up here.”
The singer, actor and musical theatre star can be seen back on TV screens next week when the fourth series of Torchwood kicks off on July 14.
John is also making a welcome return to Glasgow this Christmas alongside The Krankies in the panto Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates at the city’s SECC.
And it looks like the star, who relocated to the USA as a child, will also be spending some time back in his home country passing on his wisdom to the country’s up-and-coming actors.
“I slogged my guts out for 21 years and I did three-and-a-half years of school and didn’t finish my degree, so I think I did my groundwork [to gain the honorary degree]. And hopefully I can come to The Academy – or as it’s going to be called next year The Conservatoire – and I’m going to come give some master-classes.”
Source (includes video interview with John): STV
Upcoming schedule for Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Mo 7/18: Elizabeth Banks, Rich Fulcher
Tu 7/19: Eddie Izzard, Hayley Atwell
We 7/20: Jenna Elfman, Breckin Meyer, Omid Djalili
Th 7/21: Bryan Cranston, Amos Lee
Fr 7/22: John Goodman, Jayma Mays
Mo 7/25: Don Rickles, Matt Smith
Tu 7/26: William H. Macy, Karen Gillan
We 7/27: Mary McCormack, golfer David Feherty
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